


Cafuné

by GhostedArmy



Category: Marble Hornets
Genre: Communication, Demisexual Character, Finally the brialex, Healthy Relationships, Homophobia, M/M, Meet-Cute, NaNoWriMo, Rating will change, Sexual Content, Slice of Life, Trans Male Character, mentions of domestic violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-01-28 09:44:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12603804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostedArmy/pseuds/GhostedArmy
Summary: Cafuné - the act of running one’s fingers, gently but deeply, through someone else’s hair.





	1. Chapter 1

“All I’m saying, dude, is that you need to relax a little bit!” Brian said, opening the doors to the cafe and holding them open for Tim.

“I’m relaxed!” Tim said, adjusting his sleeve. “This new shirt is just, uncomfortable. I can’t believe the company is making us wear these ones,” he complained. He looked down at his shoes. The warm September breeze blew through the door as Brian held it open for a man in glasses holding a couple boxes.

“Excuse me officer, manager coming through,” the man said, and Tim stepped out of the way. He looked down at his uniform, frowning.

“Oh, I’m not a cop…” He said, but the man was already slipping behind the counter. He frowned, and Brian gently pushed him into the short line at the counter.

Tim took in his surroundings, the quirky decor catching his eye. The place had a student film-esque feel, with hipsters in beanies sitting with people with guitars. He felt his fingers ache for his music, and frowned at Brian.

“Shouldn’t we just go to work? I’m sure we can get coffee there.” Tim wrung his hands. “I don’t want to be late.” He reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone and checking the time. The clock read 7:28 AM, with a notification from his calendar. “Doesn’t it take ten minutes to get to the site?” He asked Brian, stepping forward in the line.

Brian ignored him. Tim sighed, stepping up to the counter. He looked at the barista, noticing his blue eyes and hopeful, lopsided smile. He looked like he could use a couple good nights of sleep, and he leaned on the counter with lanky arms. His nametag read Bluejay.

“Hiya, what can I get for you today?” Bluejay asked, his voice slightly nasal. Tim looked at the board, frowning.

“I’ll have a cinnamon bun and a latte, to go, please,” Brian said, handing over his card and looking down at Tim expectantly. Bluejay punched Brian’s order in the computer, and looked at Tim.

“And for you?” He asked, smiling at Tim, and Tim had to fight down a blush. He looked at the menu, avoiding eye contact.

“What do you recommend?” He asked the barista, and watched as Bluejay smiled even wider.

“Well, I have a caffeine intolerance, so I wouldn’t be able to recommend any coffee. Our teas are really good though, my favorite is the passion fruit peach white tea infusion. Or if you want something else, we still have our pumpkin hot chocolate.” The barista grinned at Tim, and Tim frowned and averted his eyes again.

“I’ll do the tea, to go as well,” he said, pulling out his wallet and handing over his card.

“Tim, huh? Fitting.” Bluejay winked at him, and Tim felt his face grow warm. “I’m Jay. The name tag is a cruel joke by Alex,” he said, sliding Tim’s debit card and handing it back to him. Tim said a polite thank you, and pushed it back in his wallet.

Brian elbowed Tim gently, trying to get him to speak. Tim glared up at him, giving Jay a shy smile.

“Sorry, Jay, he doesn’t know how to talk to strangers. If you give him your number, I’ll get him to text you,” Brian promised, and Jay slid a napkin over. Tim took it, gingerly folding it and muttering out a thanks. He could feel his face was bright red.

 

Brian lead him over to the other end of the counter, where the manager was making their drinks. He looked at Brian with a smile, and Brian returned it with his own.

Tim looked back around the small cafe, looking at the wall with a small billboard. His eyes were drawn to a couple audition posters for a band by someone named Seth. He grabbed one of the posters, pulling it off and reading more about it. The band, To The Ark, had a drummer, a lead vocalist, but they needed a couple of guitar players. He handed the poster to Brian, interrupting the conversation between him and the manager.

“Oh, your tea is ready!” The manager said, handing him a cup of the iced tea. Tim grabbed it and took a tentative sip. It was sweet, but not sickly. He looked at the clear cup, the color reminding him of a mid-October sunset, the yellow-orange streaking the sky. He took another sip, distinctly tasting the green tea and the passion fruit. The peach was an aftertaste, but it reminded him of summers in his grandmother’s kitchen, with bruised knees and Band-Aids.

He looked up to see Jay watching him, and he cracked a shy smile. He watched as Jay scanned the front of the store, then abandoned the register to walk over.

“How is it?” He asked Tim. “You look like you’re debating whether or not you enjoy it.” Tim let out a small laugh.

“It’s better than I thought. It’s refreshing,” He said, looking down at it and taking another sip. He looked back up to see Jay looking him over, and he blushed again.

“So, I see handcuffs, pepper spray, and wires. Are you a cop?” Jay asked, and Tim shook his head.

“No, no, I’m just a security guard. Brian and I work up at the hospital,” Tim explained, feeling his shoulders relax a little. Jay was easy to talk to.

“Oh, so you work with the crazy patients and the angry family members?” Jay asked, his eyes sparkling. “I’ve always loved reading about hospital horror stories,” he said, and Tim laughed.

“I can’t say too much, because of laws, but we do work with legal hold patients and escort angry family members out of the building. I’ve yet to do that, this is my third week, but Brian’s been with the hospital for a couple years now. He has more horror stories than I do.” Tim brought a hand up to scratch the back of his head.

“I’m just interested in you, honestly. You should text me sometime. Maybe come in here tomorrow?” Jay asked, perking up with a hopeful smile. Tim thought about it for a moment, and nodded.

“Yeah, I’ll be back tomorrow. And I’ll, uh, I’ll text you,” he said, looking over at Brian. “I’d stay and talk, but we’re going to be late if we stay here a little bit longer,” he told Jay, thanking him again and following Brian out the door.

As they got in the car, Brian gave him a knowing look. Tim ignored his glances, holding his tea close to him, and taking a sip.

“So, that cute barista, huh?” Brian prompted, smirking at Tim. Tim glared out the window. “Oh, okay, I see. You were too busy not looking at him, huh? He was real cute, just your type. Maybe you should take him on a date.” Brian laughed as Tim reached out one hand and hit him in the chest.

“He was cute, but I don’t date strangers.” Tim glared at the road, refusing to look at Brian.

“Then get to know him, then he won’t be a stranger. Come on, Alex was talking a little bit about him, he was apparently a film student with Alex. They went to the same college we did.” Brian reached into the backseat of his car, pulling out a flashlight and handed it to Tim.

“Why… the flashlight…?” Tim asked, looking at it with a confused glance. It was daylight, he didn’t think he would need his flashlight.

“Because you need to lighten up.” Brian grinned at him, and Tim let out a groan and threw the flashlight back into the back seat. He huffed quietly, ignoring Brian for the rest of the drive.

Brian parked the car in the staff parking lot, and he and Tim got out. They started towards the hospital, seeing several nurses and doctors walking out to their cars. Tim politely said hello to some who passed by him, and they gave him tired smiles.

Tim scanned his badge at the staff entrance, opening the door and descending the stairs into the basement. He pulled out his phone to check the time, and accidentally pulled the napkin with Jay’s phone number out as well. He stopped, picking it up, and smiled softly down at it. The door to the security office opened, and Tim’s coworker stepped out.

Bethany looked exhausted, and she wasted no time in handing him his set of keys for the day. She handed him one of the tiny flip phones they used, and he opened it to check the battery. It was mostly charged, and he quickly put it in his left chest pocket. She handed him an android phone as well, and he took the scanner and put it in his pants pocket.

“We had a careflight last night at eleven, and Marisa found someone sleeping in the bathroom at around five. George issued a BOLO on the guy, and if you guys see him, you get to trespass him. There were a few code blues, and one code stroke. Other than that, we got absolutely no calls. Now, I have been here since four yesterday afternoon, I’m going home.” She started towards the door, but Tim grabbed her wrist gently. She stopped and sighed.

“Wait, shit, you pulled a double? You could have called me, I could have come in early and done a twelve today,” Brian said. “You know HR is trying to make it so that we’re no longer allowed to pull sixteen hour shifts.”

“HR can kiss my ass, I’ll stop pulling double shifts when they hire new people and get them assigned to the hospital.” She ran her hands through her dark hair, evident bags under her eyes.

Brian laughed, and Tim put his hand on her shoulder. “I know when I went through orientation, there were three others for the hospital. I think they’re just getting their vaccinations and drug tests and background checks done,” Tim said quietly, nodding politely at one of the housekeeping staff passing through the hallway.

“Well, they aren’t here yet, so they keep giving us all twelves or sixteens.” She scowled at him, and turned and left.

Tim entered the office, signing in and grabbing one of the radios. He connected it to his communication wire, and clipped the radio on his belt. The earpiece was swimming in his uniform shirt, so he fished around in it before pulling it over his ear and pushing it in.

“Mic test,” Brian said over the radio.

“All clear.” Tim looked at the whiteboard in the office, checking it over to see if there’s anything new. He heard keys in the door, and looked at it as Marisa walked in.

Marisa was gorgeous, with her curly hair pulled into a ponytail and dark skin. She smiled sweetly at him, and he reached out his hand to bump hers.

“Hey girlie, I heard you got to chase someone out of the bathroom, huh?” He asked, and she laughed. Her laugh was like chimes in spring, a quiet sound that pierced the air.

“Oh yeah, he was real tough. Told me he was in the ER, but was discharged and fell asleep in the ladies room.” Her voice was quiet too, with an accent that Tim couldn’t place. He had asked about it, and her family had lived in the town for generations. She gave him a shrug, and slipped by him to clock out.

“Hey, are we still on for Friday? My partner wanted to know, their family invited them somewhere. They really don’t want to go with that, you know how their family is, and they didn’t want to lie to them.”

“Yeah, though I don’t think Brian will be there. He doesn’t really like fish, so taking him to a sushi bar kind of sucks.”

“That’s understandable. Don’t worry about not having a date, Kai likes you. We won’t third wheel you, don’t worry,” Marisa said, winking and grinning. “Alright, I have to get home, Kai texted me earlier with plans to watch Stranger Things.”

“It’s a great series, have fun!” Tim called, smiling.

The day passed by uneventfully, and when Tim got home, he collapsed onto the couch. He reached into his pocket, looking at the napkin with Jay’s number. He punched it into his phone, typing out a message.

**Hey, this is Tim from this morning. Do you like sushi?**

He sent, before standing up and clearing out his pockets. He unbuckled his belt, sliding it off with his handcuffs and pepper spray. He set them down on the side table on the couch, laying the belt across them. He shoved off his pants, folding them gingerly and setting them on the coffee table in front of the couch.

He unbuttoned his shirt, giving it the same treatment as the pants, and sat back down in his undershirt and boxers.

He heard his phone buzz, and saw a text back from Jay.

**hey, i was wondering when you would text. i love sushi, if you’re asking me on a date. which i hope you are.**

Tim smiled. _Oh no, he’s cute even when he texts._

**A couple friends of mine want me to go to sushi with them, but I don’t have a date. You free this Friday at 5?**

**i am very free this friday at 5**

**Great! I’ll see you then.**

**see you then!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First dates are hard.

Tim looked at himself in the mirror, frowning. Should he go with the red flannel, or should he go with the new black button down his mother bought him? He picked up his phone, groaning quietly.

**so, what place are we going to? i don’t want to be underdressed.**

Tim felt a smile work its way onto his face, and sighed quietly. It had become some kind of morning ritual to go into Marble Coffee and get that same iced tea. It was nice to see Jay every single day, nice to have a little bit of a talk with him.

**Well, it’s sushi, so it’s kind of a nicer place. It’s downtown, so it’s not quite nice enough for a full suit.**

**im going to be honest, i just wanted to hear what you were wearing tonight. its been a little bit since i went on a date.**

Tim blushed, grinning and bringing his hand up to bite his thumb. Jay was just too cute, if a little forward sometimes.

**I’m debating on a flannel or a button down. It’s a little cold.**

**id like to see you in a flannel.**

Tim blushed harder, pulling the flannel on. He looked in the mirror, avoiding looking at his stomach, and grabbed the keys to his motorcycle.

**Okay, I’m on my way. And um, I don’t have a car, I have a bike. I hope that’s okay.**

He shoved his phone in his pocket and grabbed his leather jacket. He pulled it on, zipping it up, and grabbed his helmet. He pulled it over his head, grabbing the extra one and carrying it out with him.

He sat on his bike, turning the key and revving the engine. He checked his mirrors, before shifting gears and taking off down the road.

Jay had given him his address earlier that evening, and he had looked it up several times to make sure he knew where to go. It was almost across town, but he didn’t mind picking Jay up.

Tim flew by cars, feeling the cool air on his bare neck, and smiled softly. He felt free, felt like a bird flying high above the city. He looked up at the sky, watching the clouds gently pass overhead, and smiled softly.

He arrived to find Jay standing outside his house, in a jeans and a nice shirt. He watched Jay’s eyes widen as he pulled up, turning off the engine and flicking out the stand. He got off, taking off his helmet.

“Oh, a motorbike. I thought you meant like, a bicycle,” Jay giggled, and took the extra helmet from Tim. “Oh gosh…” He trailed off, putting it in and adjusting it.

“Well, are you ready? Have you ridden a bike before?” Tim asked, and got back on the bike, and Jay shook his head.

“I’ve never been on one, no.” Jay reached out, lightly touching Tim’s shoulder and swinging his leg over the side. He sat on the seat, giggling quietly. He rested his hands on Tim’s shoulders, and Tim looked back at him.

“It’ll be easier if you hold my waist,” Tim said quietly, leaning back and holding his arms up. Jay encircled his arms around Tim’s waist, leaning close and Tim felt his face grow warm again. He turned the key and revved the engine, and felt Jay giggle again.

Tim shifted gears and drove down the street slowly, letting Jay adjust to the feeling. He felt his arms tighten up when he made a turn, and Tim laughed quietly.

He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this comfortable with someone who wasn’t his family, coworkers, or Brian. He leaned back against Jay, sighing softly, and sped up.

He heard Jay shriek with joy, clinging onto Tim harder, and Tim laughed in response.

He looked up at the sky, seeing the afternoon sun casting long shadows over everything. He turned left, passed a couple stores, and parked outside of the small restaurant.

He turned to Jay, watching him slide off the bike and stumble a little bit. Tim reached out to catch him, gently holding onto his arm.

“Woah, careful there.” He said, smiling softly. He swung his leg over the seat, standing up. “Your legs might be a little weak after getting off at first,” he explained, and took off his helmet. He looked down at Jay, seeing the other man smiling softly up at him.

“Oh, no, you just make me a little weak-kneed with your smile.”

“Oh my god. You are a dork, and that was horrible,” Tim said, looking away and blushing. He couldn’t help the silly smile on his face, and he lead Jay inside.

The inside of the restaurant was dim, and quiet. The atmosphere was quiet, with reds and oranges decorating the walls. Marisa and Kai were already sitting at a table, and Tim lead Jay to the table.

“Sorry, we’re kind of late,” Tim said, sitting down and smiling softly at Marisa and Kai. The two grinned at him, and Marisa leaned forward.

“Who’s your date? He’s cute,” she said, and Tim turned towards Jay.

“This is Jay, I met him a couple of days ago when Brian regretfully dragged me to a silly hipster coffee shop,” Tim said, smiling softly.

“Hi,” Jay said quietly, and Kai grinned at him.

“I’m Kai. I’m Marisa’s partner, and I run a very successful YouTube channel about living life to the fullest,” they said, reaching out their hand and shaking Jay’s.

“I’m Marisa. I’m Tim’s coworker,” Marisa smiled softly at Jay, and he grinned at them both.

The conversation lulled on, and Tim pulled out his phone. He looked at his notifications, finding a text from his mother.

**Don’t forget this Tuesday is your father's birthday.** He frowned, sighing.

“What’s up?” Jay asked him quietly, leaning in close. Tim could feel his face grow warm again, and he gave Jay a sheepish smile.

“It’s nothing, just family stuff,” Tim said quietly, leaning in a little closer to Jay. “I’m fine, don’t worry.” Tim smiled softly as their waiter came by the table.

“Hi, I would like the Dragon roll, and an order of sake nigiri,” Tim ordered, and everyone else ordered different things. Tim looked at Jay, seeing him struggling with the menu. “What kinds of fish do you like?” He asked, leaning in close.

Jay grinned at him thankfully. “I don’t know, I usually eat only tuna or salmon… This place is different from where my mom took me as a kid,” he said, looking back down at the menu.

“Why not try the Rainbow? It has yellowtail, tuna, salmon, and tobiko. I’ll let you try my Dragon roll, and see if you like it.” Jay gave Tim a grateful grin, turning to the waiter and ordering the Rainbow roll.

Marisa turned to Jay with a wicked grin.

“So, you’re the one who managed to get Tim to drink tea, huh? Whenever I tried to get him to drink any kind of tea, he scowled at me and refused.” Tim felt his face grow warm, and he glared at Marisa half-heartedly.

“He doesn’t like tea?” Jay asked, looking at Tim with an amused look.

“I- no- I think- Marisa, I hate you,” Tim groaned, covering his face with his hands. “I don’t really like tea, but you’re just so cute.. And you looked so excited that I was going to try it, and it was pretty good, so I just.. couldn’t stop?” He hid his face even more into his hands. He heard laughter, and looked up shyly to see Jay giggling quietly at him.

“So, that's why you had that perplexed look when you first tried it! I thought you just didn’t like the passion fruit flavor.” Jay laughed, and Tim cracked a small smile.

“It is a really strong flavor,” Tim said, glaring playfully at Marisa. “I don’t like the bitterness of tea. I smoke, and it’s sort of made most bitter things taste like ash. It’s… kind of gross, really. I’ve been meaning to quit,” he explained, looking back to Jay.

Jay was smiling softly at him. Tim felt his eyes flick down to Jay’s lips, and watched Jay smile wider. He reached out his hand under the table, and grabbed Jay’s gently. He intertwined their fingers, and Jay looked back at Marisa and Kai with a smile.

“So, I can’t place your accent. It’s like, Canadian mixed with Southern,” Jay said to Marisa, who smiled. She went into an explanation about her family, but Tim didn’t hear a word of it.

He was watching Jay’s smile, and Tim felt Jay’s grip on his hand tighten, and then let go as the waiter placed their food in front of them. Kai bowed their head to their food, closing their eyes. Jay gave Tim a confused look, and Tim leaned forward.

“They picked that up in a couple places they’ve visited. There’s one thing common in many cultures, and that is giving thanks for the food. It’s kind of weird, but we love them anyway,” Tim explained, picking up his chopsticks and grabbing one of his sake nigiri between them. He dipped it in his soy sauce, before taking the entire thing in his mouth.

Jay was looking down at his roll curiously, taking a piece off and, a little clumsily, taking a bite. He hummed, before making an appreciative noise and taking another bite.

“Can I try?” Tim asked, and Jay nodded. Tim reached over, taking off one bite and dipping it in his soy sauce before eating it. He swallowed, and grinned. “Wow. That’s pretty good. Want to try this one?” Tim picked up one of his pieces, holding it up to Jay. Jay grabbed it with his own chopsticks, and popped it into his mouth.

Jay chewed, quickly swallowing and frowning. “Spicy,” he said, quickly taking a bite of his Rainbow roll. Tim let out a quiet laugh, and smiled across the table at Marisa and Kai. The two were off in their own little world, feeding each other sushi and murmuring to themselves.

The rest of the dinner passed smoothly, and Tim and Jay exited the restaurant. They said goodbye to Marisa and Kai, and Tim swung his leg over the motorcycle. He pulled on his helmet, handing the other one to Jay.

Jay settled in behind Tim, leaning in close and giggling quietly again. Tim started the engine, taking off own the street and quickly arriving back at Jay’s apartment. He pressed the brakes, stopping and leaning on the ground with one leg. He stopped the engine, and helped Jay off. Jay pulled the helmet off.

“Would you like to come inside? You mentioned you didn’t work tomorrow, and I don’t either. Maybe we could watch movies or something?” Jay asked, blushing lightly.

Tim thought for a moment, before removing the key from the ignition and stepping off the bike. He walked it up the driveway, pulling the brakes and following Jay inside.

The apartment was small, with a hallway to the left of the door. The living room was small, with the kitchen separated from the living room with a half wall. The walls were white, but the couch was a grey-brown color. There were a few pictures around the house, of Jay and Alex, and of Jay and an older woman.

A quiet wailing from the hallway caught his attention, and he frowned. Jay excused himself, walking into the hallway. Tim was left in the living room, standing to the side awkwardly.

“-can’t scream.” Tim heard, muffled through the walls. The wailing started again, and Tim heard Jay’s voice again. Tim watched the hallway, seeing Jay come out with a small bundle in his arms.

“Sorry, sometimes Jess can’t keep her voice down.” Jay set the bundle on the couch, and Tim saw the huge cat quickly escape the bundle of blankets. “That’s Jessica. She was my grandmother’s cat, but when my Nana passed away, no one else was able to take her in. I didn’t want to see her get thrown in a shelter, so she’s my cat now.” Tim kneeled down on the couch, putting his hand out in front of him.

The fluffy brown tabby cat sniffed him, and trotted away with her head held high and tail raised in the air. Tim laughed quietly. “She’s got attitude. What kind of cat is she?” He asked, and Jay smiled.

“She’s a Maine Coon. My Nana got her from a breeder a couple of years ago. She’s about five years old,” Jay said, fondly scooping up the cat and cradling her like a baby.

“God, she’s huge.” Tim reached out his arm, petting her forehead. He settled down into a sitting position on the couch, looking up at Jay and smiling softly. “Okay, movies. What movies do you have?” He said, and Jay sat next to him.

“Well, I have any movie, if you can find it online. How about Wall-E?” Jay said, and Tim nodded.

Halfway through the movie, Jay settled against Tim’s shoulder shyly, and Tim wrapped his arm around his shoulder.

_This is really nice._ He thought, leaning into the body against him, and let out a small surprised noise when Jay turned and kissed him sweetly.

_This is really, really nice._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what is slow burn
> 
> i actually went to a sushi restaurant for this you guys


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Work!

Tim walked down the hospital halls, the keys on his side jingling with every step. Marisa walked next to him, a determined look on her face.

They had just gotten the call for a code grey, and they were making their way to the nurses station. Tim looked over at Marisa, and cracked a small smile. She met his gaze, frowning.

“What?” She asked. “Is there something on my face? Stop looking at me like that!” She said, bringing her hand up to wipe at her face. Tim laughed quietly to himself, shaking his head.

“No, no. You just looked so determined. It reminded me of last week when you tried eel for the first time,” he said, chuckling.

“Let’s just hope I don’t throw up now.” She walked over to a nurse, and Tim watched as the nurse explained that the patient was getting a little agitated, and he had gotten out of bed and approached the nurses station, yelling threats.

Tim stepped close, and the nurse visibly sighed. “The doctor says we don’t need to restrain him, but I just wanted a security presence when I talked to him.”

Marisa pulled out her notepad from her breast pocket and a pen, checking the time on her watch. She wrote down the hour, the room number, and looked at the nurse with an irritated look on her face. “I need your name for the report,” she said, and he nodded.

“Seth Wilson,” the nurse said, stepping into the room. Tim followed, putting on a small smile and standing with his arms behind in back, in a parade rest position. “Hi, Mr. Davis, I’m Seth. I’m going to need you stay in bed, okay? You’re not well enough to walk around yet, and we don’t want to risk you slipping and falling.” The man lying in the bed sneered at Seth and Tim, and glared at Tim.

“Why do you need a pansy like him in here to protect you?” Mr. Davis growled out. Tim let his smile drop, meeting the patient’s glare with one of his own.

“This is Tim, he’s one of our security guards. He was called up here to make sure-”

“I can see he’s security. I have heart problems, not eye problems. Are you younguns so scared of someone getting in your face and yelling at you? You parents should have raised you better. This generation needs to learn to take a hit,” Mr. Davis grumbled, laying back in his bed.

“Mr. Davis, can you promise me you won’t try and get out of bed without help?” Seth prompted, giving Tim an apologetic glance. “It will help us speed up the process a lot quicker and you get to go home sooner.”

Tim looked back at Marisa, and nodded at her. He stepped out of the room, and she walked in. Tim followed her in, ready to back her up if there was any physical altercation.

“Hello sir, my name is Marisa Thompson. I’m the supervisor on shift for today’s security, and I would like to go over a few things with you.” The patient’s glare hardened when he looked at Marisa.

“Supervisor? Someone trusted that high of a position to someone like you?” Mr. Davis sneered, sitting up. “You should be back in the cotton fields, where you belong.”

“Sir, if you are to get out of bed again and threaten any more of the doctors or nurses, we are to restrain you to the bed. We will not hesitate to let the county sheriff know, as well, and send someone down here to keep an eye on you.” Marisa smiled at him, a feral look in her eyes. The man shut his mouth, turning his attention towards his feet.

Tim looked at Marisa, and she stepped out of the room. She walked down the hallway. Tim chased behind her, quickly catching up.

“I hate people like that. Racist piece of shit, how fucking dare he,” Marisa said, a fake smile plastered on her face. Tim made a sympathetic noise, putting his hand on her shoulder.

“People like that are awful. You’re a human, just like he is. Hell, if anyone’s better, it’s you because you’re twenty two years old and you’re going to your nursing degree on top of having two full-time jobs. You’re a badass, Mar,” Tim said, smiling softly at her. She smiled at him, scanning her badge for access into the staff elevator.

“Mar? That’s a new nickname,” she teased, smiling softly. As the elevator doors closed, Tim noticed that a nurse wearing pink scrubs was walking towards the elevator. He threw his arm out, stopping the doors from closing and holding them open.

“Thanks!” The nurse said, stepping inside the elevator and pressing the button for the third floor.

“How’s your day going?” Tim asked politely, smiling softly at her. Her name tag read ‘Jessica’, and he thought to the night last week.

“It’s going,” Jessica said, smiling softly. “We just had two sets of twins born, so it’s sort of busy today.” She laughed quietly, and Tim smiled.

“Busy makes the day go by faster. Actually, what time is it?” He asked out loud, and Marisa checked her watch.

“It’s three-thirty, basically,” she smiled.

“Oh, wow, it’s already almost time to go home.” He grinned at Marisa. “I’ve got another date tonight. It’s going great with Jay.”

“Good, I’m glad!” Marisa said, and the elevator opened up to Pediatrics. Tim looked at the pink walls and children’s books, and said a polite goodbye to Jessica. The elevator doors slid closed.

“Jay has a cat named Jessica. Sweetest thing I’ve ever met,” Tim said, grinning.

“Funny, I thought you didn’t like cats,” Marisa said, stepping out of the elevator as soon as it opened. She grabbed her keys, finding the master, and walked across the hallway to unlock the security office. Tim followed her inside, sitting down on one of the ugly maroon rolling chairs.

He opened his mouth to talk, but an overhead page interrupted him.

“Code blue, ER waiting room. Code blue, ER waiting room.” Tim groaned, standing up, and followed Marisa as she opened the door and walked up the flight of stairs next to the elevator.

They quickly made their way to the waiting room, standing by the people in the lobby and assuring them everything was under control.

Tim felt a tug on his pants, and looked down to see a little boy staring up at him.

“Hey bud, how are you?” Tim asked, and the boy just stared at him. “Where’s your parents?” He prompted, but the little boy said nothing again. He held his arms up at Tim, and Tim sighed. He reached down, picking up the little boy and holding him against his side.

“Okay, you kind of look like the lady who’s going through the medical emergency. We’re going to walk to the front desk, and double check,” he said, slowly making his way over to the ER check in. He greeted the two nurses sitting behind the desk. They confirmed his suspicions, and he held the little boy.

He walked back over to Marisa, and frowned as she started giggling at him.

“Come on, you’ve had little girls do this to you,” Tim said, slightly annoyed. Marisa smiled sheepishly at him, and watched as the team of nurses moved the lady onto a gurney. They wheeled her back into the ER, and Tim followed with the little boy on his hip.

“Where do you want the little boy?” He asked one of the nurses, and she smiled softly down at him.

“Is it possible for you to watch him, out in the waiting room?” She asked, giving him an apologetic look when he sighed.

“Yeah, yeah. I can watch him. Mar, can you get my phone from the office? I’m expecting a text or two any minute now,” he said, walking back out into the ER waiting room.

He set the little boy down on one of the chairs, sitting next to him. He pulled out the work phone, logging into the hospital’s intranet. He pulled up his reports, and tapped on ‘New’.

_At 15:32, there was a code blue called for the ER waiting room. Marisa and I responded, and stood by. The patient’s son was there, and I stayed with him until my relief came._ He wrote down, typing furiously on the small phone.

He looked up, seeing Marisa walking towards him with his phone in his hand. He made a noise, reaching his hand out. She looked down at him with an amused expression, and he snatched the phone out of her hand.

“Thank you,” he said, unlocking it and feeling his heart flutter at seeing the texts on the screen.

**what a day**

**we were short handed because someone called in earlier and no one would cover the shift**

**i don’t think i’ve ever made that many drinks in one day with just me and alex**

**not even when we were first starting the cafe**

Tim smiled softly at his phone, texting back quickly.

**Hey, we just got a code blue and I apparently have to watch a little kid now.**

He slipped his phone back into his pocket, looking down at the boy. He sat in the chair, staring at the floor, unmoving. Tim reached out his hand, gently touching the boy’s shoulder.

“What’s your name?” He asked quietly, a little slower than normal.

“Elliot,” the boy muttered out, looking at his hands. Tim noticed the bruising under where the long sleeved shirt had ridden up on his wrists.

“Okay, Elliot, are you thirsty?” He asked quietly, and the boy looked up at him. Elliot nodded, and Tim smiled gently.

“Okay.” He fished a dollar out of his pocket, handing it to Elliot. “There’s a couple water bottles in that vending machine over there, why don’t you go get one? I just need to talk to the nice reception ladies really quickly.” He stood up, pointing to the vending machines.

Elliot scampered over to the vending machines, and Tim stepped up to the front desk.

“Hey, Christine. I’m watching this little boy, and I’m noticing some bruising on his wrists. I don’t know if it’s anything, but shift change is happening soon, and I’m not sure if Justin is going to be all too aware of it. He’s a little scatterbrained,” Tim explained, and Christine smiled.

“Don’t worry, we already contacted someone. The mother was yelling at him earlier, and then the code happened,” She said, and Tim smiled at her. He mumbled his thanks, going back and sitting down in the chairs.

Elliot came back, a bottle of water in his hands, and he looked at Tim.

“Go on, you can have it.” Elliot beamed at him, unscrewing the cap and taking a drink from it.

Tim looked out the window, watching the clouds roll by, and yawned. He didn’t sleep very well last night, monstrous nightmares haunting his dreams. They were wicked, twisting, masses of black and static. Tim had woken up drenched in sweat.

A buzz in his pocket brought him back to the present, and he pulled out his phone.

**code blue is which one, again?**

**Medical emergency. We don’t normally respond unless it’s a public place, but since it was in the ER waiting room, we had to.**

**i see. so you’re watching a kid now?**

**His mom is the one who had the medical emergency.**

**ohhh.**

**Yeah.**

**oh i wanted to apologize if i was too forward last week, you sort of left in a hurry? and we’re still on for tonight?**

**I told you, I ran out because you were really adorable when you were sleepy and I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable and panicked a little bit. And yeah, you wanted me around seven, right?**

**just making sure and yeah seven works. hopefully you’ll stay the night this time.**

**We’ll see :)**

Tim smiled softly down at the text, and looked up to see an Asian man walking towards him. He stood up, and smiled.

“Hey, Justin. Here’s the phone and keys. This little guy is Elliot, his mom is currently in the ER. We had a code blue on her, Marisa is going to do the report,” Tim said, stretching out his arms. “Now, I have a date to prepare for."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late, I'm working a 16 hour shift at my job. Which, is security. At a hospital. :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Homophobic language and mentions of domestic violence ahead, you have been warned.

Tim adjusted the flannel shirt he was wearing. He ran his hands through his hair, trying to get it to not stick to the side of his head. He sighed quietly, adjusting his grip on the helmet in his arms, and knocked on the door.

Crashing was heard inside the apartment, followed by a few swears. The door opened to show Jay, with a slightly embarrassed smile, and Jess sitting at his feet.

“Hi, sorry, she decided it was time to make a mess,” Jay said, letting Tim inside the door. The cat wound around Tim’s legs, her mouth opened in a screech. He set the motorcycle helmet down, before reaching down and picking her up.

“Oh, yes, hello, it’s good to see you too.” He laughed as she licked his nose, rubbing her face against his. She was purring, with her belly flat against his chest and front paws on his shoulders.

“I swear, she loves you more than me,” Jay said, before widening his eyes and blushing. He looked away, coughing quietly. “I mean, she loves you more than she loves me,” he explained, and Tim just laughed. He leaned over the couch, detaching the cat from his chest and setting her down. She looked up at him, meowing loudly and sitting down.

Tim walked over to Jay, smiling softly. “Hi,” he said quietly, wrapping his arms around Jay’s waist. Jay looked at him, a smile of his own playing on his lips. He leaned in quickly, pressing a fleeting kiss to Tim’s lips, and pulled back.

“Hello there,” Jay said, wrapping his arms around Tim’s neck. He leaned in close once again, and Tim met him halfway. Their lips met again, and Tim pulled him even closer.

“I’d like to stay here and just do this all day, but we have a movie to catch,” Tim reminded him, pulling away slightly. Jay rested his head against Tim’s forehead, smiling softly at him.

“We have a couple minutes. And I haven’t seen you at all today. Usually you come by in the morning, but you didn’t today!” Jay complained, giving Tim a goofy smile.

“I woke up late and was almost late to work. Agh, work was really busy. We had three patients who needed their valuables, and then we had the fire alarm go off because of a housekeeper accidentally burning her lunch. We had to open all of the doors to everywhere, and stand by until everything cleared. Then we had the code grey and the code blue…” Tim said, completely oblivious to Jay laughing. He looked up at him, frowning slightly. “What? Why are you laughing?”

“You’re adorable.” Tim felt himself blush, and he scowled up at Jay. “Code grey is… what again?”

“Code grey is security assistance needed. It’s used when a patient or visitor is getting hostile. Now, come on, movie. We’re going to be late, and I want to see this one really bad.” Tim stepped out of the embrace, grabbing Jay’s wrist and leading him to the door. Jay giggled and followed him, grabbing Tim’s helmet on the way.

“Don’t want to forget this,” he teased once they had gotten outside. Tim grabbed it with a grateful smile and pulled it on. He handed the extra helmet to Jay, swinging his leg over the bike. Jay settled behind him, wrapping his arms around Tim’s waist.

The sky above them was a painting of sunset. Purple clouds swirled in orange and yellow streaks. The sun lit the bottoms of the clouds, turning them gold as the hint of blue faded. Jay made a small, appreciative noise as Tim revved the engine.

By the time they reached the theater, it was already dark. The last hints of light had died out, and a ghost of a breeze promised a cold night. Tim shivered slightly, but he quickly parked his bike and got off of it. He reached over to help Jay off, taking his helmet and giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

Jay grabbed his hand as they were walking, and Tim nervously glanced around them. He noticed one of the employees was eying them, and dropped Jay’s hand. Jay looked at him with wide eyes.

“Sorry.” Tim looked away from Jay, walking up to the ticket stand. He paid for the movie tickets. Jay’s face was a mixture of shame and disappointment as they walked to the concession stand. “Do you, ah, want any candy or popcorn or anything?” Tim asked quietly, leaning in close.

“Popcorn, yeah. And maybe a soda to share?” Jay asked, biting his lip and not meeting Tim’s gaze. Tim nodded and turned to order, paying and pulling Jay close.

“We can talk about that later, okay? Let’s just enjoy ourselves for now,” Tim said in a hushed voice, bumping Jay’s shoulder with his own. Jay nodded, staring down at the counter without saying anything.

Tim lead him over to the theater, stepping inside and surveying the crowd. Most of the middle rows were sparsely populated, with the majority of the theater-goers in the top three rows. Tim lead Jay over to the middle of the theater, sitting down directly in front of an older couple.

“How’s this?” Tim asked him, and Jay smiled. He nodded, pulling out his phone and turning it off.

They didn’t have to wait very long for the movie to start, and as soon as the lights dimmed again, Tim grabbed Jay’s hand under the armrest of the chairs. He felt Jay squeeze his hand, and he smiled softly and turned his attention to the movie playing out before them.

About halfway through the movie, Jay had shifted so that he was leaned against Tim’s shoulder. Tim wrapped his arm around Jay’s shoulder, and he ignored the shifting from behind them. The couple behind them grumbled, but Tim ignored them again.

“I’m telling you, I can’t do this!” The main character of the movie sobbed, her hands bound behind her back. The antagonist glared down at her. “I don’t know anything! I’m trying to find them too.”

“You know more than I do. Where was their last location?!” The antagonist yelled, grabbing the main character’s face tightly. The scene shifted from the villain’s lair to a dingy hotel room, with the main character’s family quickly packing their stuff.

“Come on, come on. We need to go now, we need to find her.” The youngest one pulled on a backpack, running out of the room. The others followed him, before skidding to a stop and turning face to face with some of the antagonist’s troops. Jay let out a little yelp, pushing in closer to Tim. Tim chuckled lowly, kissing Jay’s temple and turning back to the movie.

“Watch out!” The youngest screamed to his older sister, who turned around just to get punched in the face.

Tim heard the people behind him whisper in hushed voiced, clearly unhappy about something. He sent them a glare, before turning back to the screen. A moment later, he heart the sound of ice in a cup, and soda was poured all over him. He pulled in a sharp intake of breath, his shoulders tensing up, and slowly turned around.

The man of the couple was glaring down at him, an empty cup in his hands. He dropped it, and it bounced on Jay’s head. Tim stood up, looking at the man in anger.

“Oops.” The man sat back down, and Tim clenched his fists. He took a deep breath, before walking out of the theater. He made a beeline for one of the employees.

“Excuse me. Hi, I just had a guy purposely pour his soda all over me and my date,” Tim said, holding his arms out uncomfortably. The employee nodded at him, and he watched her scurry off to grab one of the security guards. He felt a hand on his arm and whirled around, relaxing slightly upon seeing Jay.

“Are you okay?” Jay asked him quietly, and Tim shook his head.

“I’m uncomfortable. I’m furious. I’m worried,” Tim said. “Did they do anything to you after I left?”

“No, no. I’m fine. They just laughed.” Jay reached his hand out, brushing the hair out of Tim’s face. Tim watched as the employee was walking back, two male security guards and a manager in tow.

“Hi, my name is John. I’m the manager tonight. Can you explain to me what happened?” The scrawny manager said, adjusting his glasses and looking at him.

“I was sitting in theater four with my date, and I heard the guy behind us make a couple noises. I looked back at him, and then looked back at the movie, and he dumped his soda over us,” Tim said, looking at the manager. The security guards were writing down in a couple notepads.

“I’m going to need your names,” one of the guards said to Tim and Jay. “We’ll have to do a report on this, and they want us to have all of the information. I’m also going to need a couple IDs from you two as well.” Tim reached into his back pocket, pulling out his licence and handing it over to one of the men. Jay followed his example, grabbing his ID card and handing it to the other man.

“Wright, huh?” The security guard commented. “Any relation to Senator Wright?”

“That’s my father.” Tim looked over at Jay, frowning when he gave him a look. Tim shrugged.

“Alright, we’re going to go ahead and review the footage of theater four. Marcus, can you go with these two gentlemen and go ahead and get eyes on the guy?” The security guard said, before turning and walking back towards the door next to the tickets stand.

The manager turned towards Tim and Jay, an apologetic smile on his face. “For this, we’re going to go ahead and refund your money for the tickets. We can also provide new tickets, free of charge, for any date and any movie in the next two months.” He led the two over to the ticket booth. He punched a couple things into the computer, and Tim slid his card again. He watched as two receipts were printed, and the manager handed one to him.

Jay leaned against Tim, shivering slightly. Tim looked at him, frowning. He wrapped his arm around Jay’s waist and walked with him over to Marcus.

Tim and Jay led Marcus into the theater, pointing the guy out to him. Marcus walked over to him, politely asking the guy to come with him.

“Really? I know your manager. I’ll get you fired.” The guy stood up, getting in Marcus’s face.

Jay leaned down to Tim, cracking a smile. “Code grey, theater four.” He let out a quiet laugh, and Tim tried hiding his smile. He snorted, shaking his head. He walked out of the room, ignoring the nasty looks he was given for having his arm around Jay.

“Your dad is a senator?” Jay asked, frowning. “Senator Wright too? Isn’t he the one that…”

“Strongly opposed gay marriage and beat his wife? Yeah. My mom divorced him when I was thirteen, but she still thinks I should have at least a little bit of communication with him,” Tim said, leaning against Jay.

Marcus came out of the theater with the man and the woman in tow. He escorted them out of the building, the man screaming threats the entire way. Tim walked back into the theater and grabbed the two motorcycle helmets that were stowed under the seats. They were covered in a sticky film and smelled like Pepsi.

“Let’s go home, yeah?” Tim said to Jay, handing him one of the helmets. Jay took it gratefully, following Tim out to the parking lot.

The wind was howling outside, and there was a lack of a moon. Tim heard a noise from behind him and turned around in time to see the man from earlier throw a punch at Jay. He watched as it connected with Jay’s head, and Jay stumbled. He landed on his hands, and Tim stepped forward.

The man tried to throw a punch at Tim, but he grabbed his wrist and pulled it behind his back. He kicked the backs of the knees of the man, forcing him to fall to the ground. Tim pushed him even further, getting him flat on the ground.

“Fucking fags!” The man yelled, struggling against Tim.

Tim kicked him in the side. “Jay, there’s my work gear in the side pocket on my bike. Can you get me the cuffs please?” He asked, and Jay nodded. He was holding his head, but came back with the cuffs.

Tim quickly put the cuffs on the guy, fishing out his phone and calling the sheriff’s office.

_“This is Martha, how can I help you?”_

“Hi Martha, this is Tim. I’m calling about personal reasons this time. I’m out on a date, and I was just attacked. Can you send an officer over to the Northgate Theater? I’ve got the guy down on the ground,” Tim said.

_“Of course, hun. I’ll have someone over there in a couple minutes.”_

Tim sat down on the curb, and motioned for Jay to come closer. He gently grabbed Jay’s chin, moving his face to the side. “Oh, Jay. You’re bleeding.” He said, pressing his sleeve to Jay’s head. “Head wounds are dangerous. Do you want me to take you to the ER? I get sort of discounts on friends and family with my insurance, so it’s not going to be too bad with the expenses.” Jay leaned against him, nodding. Tim pressed his lips gently to Jay’s cheek.

“Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a double update coming in the next few days.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jay is smooth as fuck but no one hears it, and Tim finally takes a shower

“Alright, come on, let’s get you inside,” Tim said, parking his motorcycle and helping Jay off. Jay wrapped one arm around Tim’s neck, and Tim grabbed onto Jay’s waist. “Come on, don’t fall asleep. We want to make sure you don’t have a concussion before you do that.”

The emergency room was littered with people, the huge windows showing nothing but the dark world outside. People watched them as they passed, and Tim sat Jay down on one of the chairs. He took off his own helmet, before carefully taking Jay’s off too.

“Tim?” Tim turned his head, seeing Brian. “Hey, man, you alright?” Brian asked, walking up to him. Tim nodded, looking down at Jay.

“Long story short, guy was a homophobic asshole who attacked us. He was arrested, but Jay’s got a couple head wounds I want to make sure are fine,” Tim explained, and sat down next to Jay. Jay leaned his head on Tim’s shoulder, and mumbled quietly.

“What was that?” Tim asked, leaning his head close.

“I’m really tired.” Jay leaned against him even more, and Tim wrapped his arm around Jay. “And my head hurts.”

“I’ll bet it does, you slammed it against the concrete.” Tim brought one hand up to gently move Jay’s hair out of the way, and fought back a smile at the way Jay leaned into his hand.

“Woah, why are you here?” A familiar voice asked, and Tim looked up to see one of his friends from the ER. Bailey was frowning down at him. “I hope everything’s okay?”

“We were at the movies and got jumped, and he’s got a pretty gnarly cut on his head. I want to make sure he’s okay before taking him home,” Tim explained to him, and Bailey frowned.

“Well, go ahead and fill this out and bring it over to Dani, and she’ll let me know when you’re ready to come back.” Bailey handed him the clipboard, and Tim looked at it. He grabbed the pen at the top of it, filling out information that he knew.

“Hey. What’s your last name?” Tim asked, and Jay mumbled something under his breath. “What?”

“Merrick.” Jay’s face was bright red, and Tim looked at him.

“Hey, are you okay? We can rush you back there if needed, your face is really red.” Jay shook his head, his face flushing even darker. “What’s the matter, then? Why is your face red?”

“He’s blushing, dipshit. You have horrible hearing. Jay, don’t worry, he didn’t even hear what you said. And I like seeing him struggle, so I won’t tell him,” Brian said, laughing. “God, that was smooth. Pro-tip for next time, don’t let yourself get embarrassed like that.” Tim turned to glare at Brian, then looked back at Jay.

“What am I missing?” He asked, frowning. Jay brought his hands up, hiding his face.

“Nothing,” Brian said, flashing a dumb smile. He started to walk away, whistling innocently.

After a few questions, Tim had filled out the sheet for Jay. He unwound himself from the other man and walked over to the admitting desk. He handed the nurse the clipboard, and walked back over to Jay.

“Jay Merrick?” The nurse called out after a few moments, and Tim helped Jay stand up. He walked Jay over to the desk, where a couple nurses helped him back. Tim gathered the helmets, following them.

“Can I come back there with him?” Tim asked, frowning. A nurse nodded, and he stepped next to Jay. He followed them back to the rooms. He nodded at a few familiar faces, and then watched the nurses help Jay into one of the beds.

By the time Jay was discharged, it was nearly midnight. Tim was fast asleep in his chair when one of the nurses touched his shoulder to wake him up. Jay was signing his discharge papers, with a bandage on his head and hands. Tim stood up and stretched, hearing his back crack. He winced.

“Aw, you guys woke him up,” Jay said, smiling sheepishly at Tim. “You didn’t have to stay here with me, you know. I could have gotten a ride home from Alex.” He was slipping off of the bed, his helmet in hand.

“No, don’t worry, it’s okay. I’m good to drive.” Tim grabbed his helmet from off of the floor, leading Jay out to his bike. “Wait, it’s going to be cold, I have another jacket in the office. Let me call Brian really fast.” Tim stopped in the waiting room, pulling out his phone and calling Brian.

_“Security, this is Brian. How can I help you?”_

“Hey, it’s Tim. Can you bring me my jacket from the office? It’s the tan one, yeah.”

_“I’ll have it up in a second.”_

Tim hung up the phone, looking over at Jay. Jay was staring at him, mouth open slightly.

“...Do I have something on my face?” Tim asked, frowning. He reached up, wiping the edge of his mouth with his sleeve. Jay reached up, grabbing Tim’s cheeks and pulling him down into a kiss. Tim let out a shocked squeak, hands awkwardly flailing in the air. He relaxed slightly, hands settling on Jay’s waist, and he kissed him back.

“Woah, woah, lovebirds. Let’s chill out, huh?” Brian interrupted, and Tim pulled away. He looked down at Jay, face flushed bright red. Tim grinned, grabbing the jacket from him.

“Thanks,” he said, wrapping the jacket around Jay’s shoulders. He pulled on his helmet, and lead Jay out of the building with a wave to Brian.

The ride back to Jay’s house was quiet. The night was chilly, and the stars sparkled above them. The city was quiet, aside from the occasional car. It was peaceful, and Tim felt himself relax.

He stopped outside Jay’s house, looking up and admiring the constellations. He felt Jay get off of the bike with a hug, and stood in front of it. Tim watched Jay take off his helmet, and followed his example, expecting a kiss.

He grinned at Jay, who gave him a shy smile in return. Jay leaned forward, hugging Tim again. Tim kissed his cheek, and felt Jay’s skin heat up.

“Would you like to come in? And stay the night?” Jay asked quietly, and Tim thought for a moment.

“Yeah, I would. I would like that a lot.” Tim turned his motorcycle off, leaning it on the kickstand. He followed Jay inside, frowning at his sticky clothes. “Um…”

“I’ve got some shirts and sweats I think would fit you.” Jay lead him back to the bedroom. Tim peeked inside, seeing a scarcely decorated room. He lingered in the doorway, something telling him to stay back.

Jessica was curled up in the middle of the bed, sleeping away. He felt awkward, and stepped back a little bit. He felt like something wasn’t quite right, and looked down at his hands.

“Something wrong?” Jay asked quietly.

“I’m, I don’t know. It feels just… strange. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like I’m missing something.”

“Hm, well. Here.” Jay handed him a bundle of clothes. Tim took them gratefully, and Jay lead him over to the bathroom.

Tim closed the door, letting out a breath. He looked down at his stained clothes, carefully peeling them off.

The bathroom itself was small and quaint, with paper towels sitting next to the counter. It was clean, but lived in. There was a toothbrush in a holder, with a bottle of toothpaste next to it. Tim took it in, the mismatched towels neatly stacked above the toilet, the comb sitting precariously near the edge, the blank walls, the hamper next to the sink. He felt nostalgic for something he couldn’t quite name. 

He looked down at the clothes in his hand, then up at the mirror. He ran a hand through his sticky hair, frowning.

“Jay?” He called. His voice sounded quiet, distant.

“Yeah?” Jay called back from the other side of the door.

“Is it alright if I took a shower? I’m still covered in soda, and…”

“Yeah, yeah! Go ahead. I’m just going to be in the living room. Uh, put your dirty clothes in the basket when you’re done. I’ll give them back to you after I wash them,” Jay said through the door.

Tim looked back in the mirror at himself. He frowned at his appearance and looked at the shower. It was enclosed to glass sliding doors, and he carefully guided one open. He sighed in relief at seeing the fixture on the shower was the same as the one he had at home.

He started the water, awkwardly stepping in. He quickly cleaned himself off, before stepping out. He dried himself with a towel, throwing on the clean, borrowed clothes. The pants were a little long, and tight around the waist, and the shirt barely fit. They smelled like safety, and home, and he felt his heart flutter.

Tim tossed the towel and his dirty clothes in the hamper, and stepped out of the bathroom. He walked out to the living room, seeing Jay curled up in a blanket on the couch. Jay smiled at him, and he walked over at sat down.

“How’s your head?” Tim asked quietly, reaching over to gently touch the bandages on Jay’s face. “It’s good they cleaned you up, huh? When did they say you can take these off?”

“They said I could take them off in a couple hours,” Jay said, leaning into Tim’s touch. “They were asking me things about you, in the hospital. It seems like everyone knew you. They kept saying that it was good to see you with someone.” He looked up at Tim with wide eyes. “It kind of got me thinking. Are we dating? Or…?” He trailed off.

“I, okay. I’ve been meaning to ask you about that too, but I want you to know a couple things. My dad is a politician. He’s very anti-gay. And I can understand if you wouldn’t want to put up with that. I was diagnosed with a couple mental illnesses and disorders when I was a kid, and I sometimes still have problems with that. My mom is overbearing. I… haven’t really dated before.” Tim stopped, looking at Jay. “Knowing all of this, would you still want to date me?” He asked, biting his lip.

“Of course,” Jay said, leaning closer and sweetly kissing Tim. Tim kissed him back, sighing in relief.

“Did you think I was going to say no?” Jay asked, leaning against him on the couch. Tim shrugged.

“I don’t know, I didn’t know what you were going to say,” he said, his face tucked into the front of the borrowed shirt. “Do you want the bandages off? It’s been a couple hours since then.” He looked over at Jay. Jay nodded, and sat up.

Tim sat up as well, reaching over for the bandage on Jay’s head. “Okay, this might hurt a little bit.” He pulled off the bandages, looking at the wound. “It’s scabbed up now.”

Jay looked up at Tim, bringing one hand up to touch it. “It doesn’t really hurt anymore.”

“In my experience, head wounds bleed a lot, but that doesn’t mean they’re more painful,” Tim said, bringing one hand down to cup Jay’s cheek. He leaned in for a small kiss. “I’m sorry you got hurt. That was stupid and I should have let you walk in front of me.”

“No, it’s okay. You didn’t know that guy was going to be waiting for us. Plus, you would have gotten hurt instead of me if I went first,” Jay murmured, his eyes big.

“I’m used to getting hurt like that, though. I’m literally paid to keep people from hurting others. If I can’t even keep my boyfriend from getting hurt, what kind of security guard am I?” Tim asked, stroking Jay’s cheek.

“You weren’t on duty, you didn’t have to,” Jay said softly, leaning into Tim’s hand.

“But I’m always on duty, if you ask my guard card. I have the authority to protect people, and from now on I’m going to try my best to protect you.”

“Hang on, don’t let yourself get hurt for-” Jay was interrupted by a loud screeching at their feet, and Jessica jumped on the couch and forced herself between them. Tim looked down at her, blinking, before bursting out into laughter.

She stared up at him with a grumpy face, curling up on Jay’s lap and laying her head back down. Jay stroked her, smiling softly.

“Let’s compromise. You can protect me, but you can’t let yourself get hurt for me.”

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know if anyone has been reading this.
> 
> What Jay said was something along the lines of "Hopefully yours, someday."


	6. Chapter 6

October rolled around fairly quickly, and with October came colder winds, more storms, and Halloween. But, it wasn’t all bad, if you asked Tim. He and Brian always did something for Halloween, and always wore the same costumes year after year.

“Hey, so. This year, I was thinking we finally go to Sarah’s party. She’s been asking us for the past few years, we owe it to her to say yes. Plus, I heard from Alex that your little boytoy gets feisty when drunk,” Brian said, snickering. “And a little handsy,” he added.

“I’ll see if he wants to go. If he doesn’t, then we’ll have to do what we always do: walk around and scare kids. But, I don’t think you need a mask this year do to that. That fat lip and black eye might do it for you,” Tim said quietly and smirking at Brian. “How the fuck do you manage to get taken out by a fourteen year old girl?” He teased.

Brian flushed, frowning. “She took me off guard, okay. I had her brother in my arms and was cuffing him, and she came up and clocked me in the face. I didn’t want to hurt her, so I just grabbed her and had Marisa come over and cuff her.” He leaned back in his chair, looking over at Tim. “But enough about my injury. How’s your boytoy in bed? He looks like a biter, if that hickey is anything to go by.”

Tim glared at him and brought one hand to cover the bruise on his neck. “You know for a fact that is absolutely not what happened. I haven’t talked about it with him yet. He doesn’t want to go past kissing yet, I think.” He propped his feet up on the desk, hooking his thumbs under his belt and moving it so it wasn’t digging into his stomach. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’ll ask him about the party. I’m guessing Alex would want to go too?”

“He actually asked me about it first. He knows Sarah through Seth, that guy holding the band auditions. Did you know he’s a CNA over in telemetry? I got to talking to him the other day, and he mentioned something about Alex’s shop, and one thing happened after another, and I told him that me and you do music stuff. He’s a great guy. Anyway, Alex actually asked me if we were going first.” Brian had a tendency to ramble when he was tired, embarrassed, or pining. Tim decided it was because Brian was tired and unlocked his phone, looking at the time and groaning.

6:42 AM.

“Remind me again why you convinced me to take overtime?” Tim asked, grumbling. He pulled up his texts, tapping on Jay’s name.

_Hey, Brian told me there’s a Halloween party he wants to go to this year. Usually he and I hang out on Halloween, get dinner then go scare kids, but he said I should invite you and see if you wanted to go._

He sent the message, locking his phone and putting it back into his pocket. Brian stretched out his leg, tapping Tim on the thigh with his foot.

“Come on, let’s go on a round. The cafeteria will be open by the time we’re done, and I’m falling asleep in my chair.” Brian stood up, stretching, and grabbed his set of keys from the desk. He started towards the door of the small security office.

Tim stood as well, sighing quietly. “Jay made me dinner last night, and my poor taste buds are going to be crying for his cooking for weeks. He has a gift, Brian. I’m going to eat the cafeteria’s food and its going to be bland and sad.”

“What did he make you?”

“Spaghetti. But it was really good, he made a homemade sauce and it was amazing. I washed the dishes for him, and he came up and hugged me from behind.”

Brian stopped him, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a bottled water. He handed it to Tim. “Here.”

“What....? Why?”

“You’re sounding pretty thirsty.” Brian grinned.

Tim groaned loudly, throwing the water bottle back at Brian and stepping back inside the security office. “Fuck you, fuck off, I’m going back in here and you can do the round alone,” he said, sitting back down in the chair. Brian followed him in, barely stifling his laughter. Tim glared at him even harder.

“Come on man, let’s do a round. It’s better than sitting in this office,” Brian said, leaning on Tim’s shoulder and draping his arms over his chest. Tim lightly shoved at Brian’s arms, standing back up.

“Fine, if it’ll stop you from whining. But no puns or I’m going to come back here and sit down for the rest of the shift.” Tim lead Brian out of the office, turning around the corner and pressing the button on the staff only elevator.

“Up to the helipad?” Brian asked as they got in. Tim nodded, and Brian punched in the combination for the elevator. They rose the elevator up, and barely had stepped out when Tim’s phone started ringing. Tim fished it out of his pocket.

“Security, this is officer Wright,” He answered.

_“Hi, this is Care Flight dispatch. We have a helicopter landing in approximately five minutes,”_ the woman said, and Tim held back a sigh. It wasn’t that he hated careflights, he wished that they would give them more time.

\----

Later in the evening, Tim knocked on Jay’s front door. It opened, and Alex looked at Tim.

“Jay! Tim’s here,” Alex called behind him, stepping aside and letting Tim in. He gave him a small smile, and Tim returned it nicely.

He stepped into the house, grinning when Jay walked up to him. He was wearing a loose, dark shirt that Tim instantly recognized as his own. Their lips met quickly, and Jay smiled down at him.

“Brian’s on his way, right?” Alex asked, sinking back into the couch. Jessica hopped onto the couch, giving Alex a growl when he reached out to pet her. “Demon cat, I swear…”

Tim let out a quiet laugh. “I thought Jay was kidding when he said she didn't like you!” He exclaimed, reaching down and scooping the furball into his arms. She let out a quiet complaint, but happily nuzzled against the scruff on Tim’s chin. “See, she's a big sweetheart,” he teased, sitting next to Alex.

Jessica looked over at him, her sweet demeanor changing as her ears laid flat on her head and her face crinkled in a snarl. She hissed at Alex, swatting at him when he stuck her tongue out at him.

“Now now, that's not very nice.” Tim touched her head, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She closed her eyes tight, body and face relaxing.

A knock on the door had Alex jumping up, a shy smile on his face. He swung the door open, and Brian stepped inside. He held up his fist to Alex, who bumped it.

“Good, right on time. Dinner is ready, so get your happy asses to the table.” Jay set a bowl on the table and reached for three more, and Tim stepped over. He grabbed one of the bowls from Jay, and kissed his cheek.

Brian sat next to Alex, who sat across from Jay, who was next to Tim. Dinner was made of mashed potatoes, mixed veggies, salad, and meatloaf, with a choice of water or beer to drink. Tim thought of his medication, and opted for the water. He smiled when Jay made the same choice, and sat down. He scooped various foods onto his plate, before setting it back down to eat.

Tim looked up from his plate to see Brian staring at Alex, a soft smile playing on his lips. Alex was serving his plate, and Tim kicked Brian under the table.

“Ow.” Brian hissed in pain, looking over at Tim with a frown. “What?” He had a look of panic in his eyes, and Alex and Jay looked at the two of them.

“Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to.” Tim gave Brian a meaningful stare.

_We'll talk later._

Brian gave a small nod, and looked over at Jay. “Are you going to Sarah and Seth’s Halloween party?” He asked, and Jay grinned.

“Alex and I go every year. They're really close friends of ours, considering Seth took care of me after I got a pretty big surgery. Nothing life threatening!” He said after a worried look from Tim. “Just, some stuff I had to get when I turned eighteen. Anyway, Seth took care of me afterwards. And Alex got to talking, and well, here we are. We always go.”

Jay grabbed Tim’s hand under the table, squeezing it gently, a reassurance that everything was okay. Tim returned the squeeze with a soft smile.

“Damn, I can see why Tim’s with you. Your cooking skills are better than my mom’s, and she's a chef.” Brian was digging into his food, and Jay blushed. He shared a look with Alex, smiling softly over at Tim.

Tim leaned down and took a bite of the food. It was amazing, absolutely perfect, and Tim squeezed Jay’s hand again. The moment was interrupted by a small screech, and Tim looked down at his feet to see Jessica. She stretched up on his leg, digging her claws in his pants, and stood up on her hind legs.

“Can she-” He was interrupted by her jumping onto his lap, stepping gingerly on the table. “Be up here?” He finished, grabbing her chest and holding her up.

“I let her up here all the time, its unfair to say no now,” Jay said sheepishly, and Tim let go of her. She wandered over to Jay’s plate, and he picked off a bit of his meatloaf and held it out to her. She sniffed it, but turned away and looked back at Tim.

“Hi, Jess.” She chirruped at him, walking back towards him, and her tail knocked over Jay’s glass of water. The clink of it hitting the table scared her, and she bolted off of the table, nearly knocking over Brian’s beer.

“I’d rather see a church burn,” Brian said, reaching out and holding his beer to keep it from spilling. Tim watched as Jessica turned around to look fearfully at the table.

“Oh, kitten, it’s okay!” He called out, reaching his hand down for her. She approached him warily.

Tim heard Alex laugh loudly, and looked up to see Jay standing. His pants were soaked at the crotch, and his face was bright red.

“Woah buddy, need me and Brian to give you and Tim some time alone? Maybe let him-” Jay reached over and grabbed Alex’s mouth, effectively silencing him. Jay leaned down, whispering something in Alex’s ear.

“Wait, really? Are you sure that’s a good idea? I don’t want to bring up bad memories, but you know what happened last time you didn’t tell someone?” Alex asked, looking up at Jay with a concerned face.

“I know, I know. I was going to talk to him about it soon.” Jay’s eyes flicked over to Tim, anxiety swirling in the depths. Tim stood up, walking over to the kitchen to grab paper towels. He came back, gently blotting at the water on the table. Alex and Jay were gone, and Brian was petting Jessica.

“Where’d they go?” Tim asked, cleaning up the spill. Brian looked at Jay’s room down the hall, frowning.

“Alex needed to talk to him. It sounded pretty serious,” Brian said, looking up at Tim. Tim bit his lip, trying to push the anxiety down. “Hey, no, I know that look. I don’t think it’s about you.” Brian reached over, putting his hand on Tim’s shoulder.

“I don’t want to talk about it. What’s going on with you and Alex, huh?” Tim changed the subject, sitting down. Brian flushed red, and looked down.

“Okay, okay, yeah. I like him, but he’s straight. I think. He just broke up with a girl named Amy because it just wasn’t working out for them,” Brian explained. “I haven’t wanted to try anything because I know he was with her since he was eighteen. He’s still grieving over it, and I’d feel like an ass if I went for his right now.”

“Okay, that’s fair. I can see if he likes guys from Jay, if you want,” Tim offered, and Brian shook his head.

“I don’t know, I would feel bad about that. I want to kind of do this on my own. After my last Grindr date, I kind of want something normal now.”

“I feel that. Was that last guy the one who tried to get you to go on a cruise overseas with him on a shady ass cruiseline after the first date?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t think Alex is like that.”

“Like what?” Tim turned around to see Alex and Jay leaving the room, with Jay wearing a different pair of pants.

“A murderer. I hung out with a guy who tried to kill me on a shady cruise,” Brian said, grinning. Alex laughed, sitting back down. Tim looked at Jay, worried.

“Is everything okay?” He whispered, grabbing Jay’s hand again. Jay smiled gratefully at him, squeezing his hand.

“I promise we’ll talk, but when we’re alone,” he said, and Tim nodded.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Healthy communication is one of the basics to a healthy relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mind the rating change. Nothing really happens in this chapter, but there is talk about it, and a small attempt at a blowjob at the end.

After saying their goodbyes to Brian and Alex, Tim and Jay were laying on the couch. Tim had his legs stretched out, leaning back against the arm of the couch. Jay was laying on his chest, their legs tangled together.

“We have to talk,” Jay murmured, hesitancy evident in his voice. Tim couldn’t push down the anxiety drowning his heart, and he swallowed the lump that was already rising in his throat. He tucked his face into Jay’s hair, and sighed.

“Okay. I’m guessing it’s about earlier, when Alex and you had that little talk,” Tim said, and felt Jay nod.

“It’s something I should have told you earlier in our relationship. It’s just, I really like you, and I was scared… I am scared.” Jay’s voice shook, and Tim wrapped his arms around his small frame. Jay tucked his face into Tim’s chest more and took a deep breath. “Sorry, give me… give me a minute.”

“Hey, let’s try a method I saw online. We talk about things we like about each other, before getting to the other stuff,” Tim suggested, slowly rubbing Jay’s back. He felt Jay laugh.

“Okay, okay. That’ll work. Uh, well, I like your face. It’s really attractive, and when you forget to shave for a few days, it scratches me when we kiss and I really like that,” Jay started. “I like how safe I feel with you. I feel, well, like a man when I’m with you.”

“Good, now talk about what you’re scared of,” Tim coaxed, nuzzling down into his soft hair.

“I’m scared you’re going to see me differently, or stop treating me the same, or leave me.” Tim felt Jay tremble, and hugged him tight again. He hummed quietly, and Jay sniffled.

“Okay. My turn,” Tim said. “I really like the way your face lights up when you talk about Jess, or the way you care about your friends. It’s like you’d travel the world to find one of them, if they ever went missing. You’re adorable, and there’s one smile you have that makes my heart flutter.” He felt Jay smile into his chest. “I’m really nervous about this talk because I feel like you’re going to say something that I won’t like, or won’t appreciate, and we won’t be able to work through it.”

“I want to try, but… It’s about me, and nothing about you. You’re wonderful…” Jay trailed off, and Tim cupped his chin. He tilted Jay’s head up, placing a sweet kiss on his lips.

“I’m going to try to accept it, okay?” Tim said. “I promise. You don’t have to be scared of that.”

“I’m, well, I’m trans,” Jay said. “I was born a girl, and then I was kicked out when I was sixteen for being trans. I lived with Alex, and we crowdfunded my top surgery, and my hormone treatments. I’m not a real guy, I guess.” Tim stared at him, shock evident on his face.

“Oh.” Tim looked down at Jay’s chest, then back up at his face. “Well, that’s… Definitely something I wasn’t expecting. But, it isn’t something we can’t work with,” he said, holding Jay close. “I’m going to be dumb about this. So you have… a vagina? Instead of a penis?”

“Yeah. It’s, it isn’t too dysphoric, but sometimes I just wish I didn’t have to deal with being born how I was,” Jay said, dropping his head back to Tim’s chest. “You’re taking this really well.”

“I don’t know how to react, if I’m honest. I want to work on this, and I know I’m not going to have a problem with the vagina thing. I’ve been with girls before, er… People with vaginas?” Tim asked, frowning. Jay laughed against his chest.

“At least you’re not blowing up on me and yelling. And leaving.” Jay’s voice sounded tight, and Tim hugged him close.

“I mean at least that explains a little bit about why you didn’t want to go past kissing last week.”

“Trust me, I wanted to, but I was scared of how you’d react if you got my pants off,” Jay shrugged.

Tim sat up, pulling Jay up with him. “I’m very much still attracted to you, don’t worry.” He leaned forward, kissing Jay sweetly. Jay wrapped his arms around his neck, tilting his head to deepen the kiss, and shifted his legs so he was sitting on Tim’s lap.

“We still have a lot of things to talk about, though. I have questions.” Tim pulled away from the kiss, bringing one hand up to cup Jay’s cheek. Jay nuzzled into it, closing his eyes and sighing.

“Okay, ask away.”

“When we have sex, would you prefer front or back? Or, if you wanted to, top?” Tim asked, feeling Jay’s face heat up against his hand.

“I like bottoming. And front feels better.”

“Okay. Can you still get pregnant? I’m obviously going to use a condom no matter what, but there’s always that chance.”

“No. When I got my hormone treatments, the doctor told me that ovulation would stop. I haven’t had a period in years, so I don’t think I can get pregnant.”

“Okay.” Tim moved his hand from Jay’s cheek to roam down his chest, to settle on his waist.

“Is that it? No more questions?” Jay murmured, leaning his head down on Tim’s shoulder.

“Is this why you seemingly enjoy it when people call us faggots or other rude things?” Tim asked, leaning his head against Jay’s. He felt Jay nod.

“It’s like, if they call us derogatory terms like that, I’m passing. I look like a real guy.”

“You are.”

“What?”

“You are a real guy. At least, to me you are,” Tim murmured into his hair. Jay held onto him a little tighter, a small whine slipping out of his throat.

“How are you so perfect?” Jay asked, exasperated. He moved his head to press a small, shy kiss to Tim’s jawline. Tim circled his arms around Jay’s waist, pulling him closer and holding him tighter.

“I’m not. I’m far from perfect, I just want to make you feel good. You’re my boyfriend, and anyone who tells me otherwise is an asshole. I have a couple more questions, and then we can watch movies all night, okay?” Tim said softly, leaning into the kisses.

“Okay.”

“I don’t know how to not ask this in an offensive manner, but, what surgeries have you had?”

“I don’t see why that matters…” Jay muttered, pulling away and looking at Tim.

“It doesn’t, I promise. I just want to know what to expect,” Tim said hurriedly. He cupped Jay’s cheek again, frowning. “I want to communicate this. And I want to help you, if I can.”

“Oh, um…” Jay sat back on Tim’s thighs, frowning down at his hands. “I’ve had top surgery. I don’t really want bottom surgery though.”

“Okay.” Tim ran his hands up Jay’s sides. “I’m out of questions, for now. And please, if I say something or do something at all that hurts you, let me know.” He reached up for Jay’s face again, and ran his thumb across Jay’s cheekbone. “And I respect you.” Jay reached up and put his hand over Tim’s.

“I will. And thank you. For accepting me,” Jay said, laying back down. “Movies sound really good right now,” he muttered against Tim’s shoulder. Tim laughed.

“What do you want to watch?” Tim asked, rubbing his fingers against Jay’s spine again.

“I don’t know, something with a happy ending,” Jay said, and Tim sat up. Jay grumbled unhappily, but Tim reached under the coffee table for Jay’s laptop. He set it on down, opening it up and sitting back.

“I still don’t know your password for your laptop,” he said. Jay reached over, typing quickly on the keyboard, and opened up the browser. He brought up Netflix, and logged in before leaning back against the couch again.

Tim scrolled through the movies, humming quietly. “Okay, happy ending… Animated?”

“Mmm, don’t care.”

“Okay, we have… Zootopia, Ten Year Plan, Moana, Pete’s Dragon, or The Road to El Dorado.” Tim scrolled through the movies, humming. “Pick three.”

“Well, I saw Pete’s Dragon in theaters when it came out, and I’ve watched The Road to El Dorado too much,” Jay said. “So, Zootopia, Moana, and the Ten Year Plan.”

“Do you want to watch them in that order?” Tim asked, and Jay shrugged. Tim shrugged back, a playful smile on his face. “Okay, we’re going to watch them in that order.” He pressed play on Zootopia, and laid back again. Jay settled back on his chest, grabbing one of Tim’s hands and intertwining their fingers.

They sat there in silence, watching the movie in peace. When it ended, Tim reached over and played Moana. Halfway through Moana, Tim started dozing off. He was tired, and had come over almost directly after work. He stretched out as best he could without disturbing Jay, and yawned.

When the movie was over, Jay sat up. “Before we continue, I’m going to take a shower.” He lightly pushed himself off of Tim, standing up and looking down at him shyly.

“Okay,” Tim said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He looked up at Jay, frowning when he saw Jay’s shy expression.

“Do you, um. Do you want to join me?” He asked, and Tim considered it for a moment before a grin split his face.

“Do you want me to?”

“Yes. Very much so,” Jay said, his face turning red.

Tim sat up, and pushed against the couch to stand on his feet. Jay grabbed his hand, leading Tim down the hall and into the master bedroom. He paused for a moment to grab a few pairs of sweatpants, a couple pairs of boxers, and two shirts before leading Tim into the master bathroom.

Tim looked around at the bathroom, the chrome accents with the light blue shower tiles. The counter was granite, and the towels hanging from the bars were light blue. Tim watched as Jay closed the door and stepped close to Tim.

He pressed a soft kiss to Tim’s lips, and wrapped his arms around his neck. Tim looped his arms around Jay’s waist, pulling him closer and kissing him back. He tilted his head, deepening the kiss, and let his hands wander down Jay’s back.

Jay pulled away, smiling. He reached down to pull Tim’s shirt off, and then followed with his. Tim let his eyes wander.

Jay was skinny, with valleys between his ribs and a little bit of a stomach. His skin was pale, and Tim could very easily see the faded scars from his top surgery. He reached out, letting his thumbs gently trace across them. He looked up at Jay’s face, leaning in for another kiss.

Jay kissed him back, but quickly broke it to kiss his jaw, then his neck. He bit lightly, and Tim let out a breath.

“That bruise is sensitive, be careful,” Tim murmured quietly, leaning back against the counter. He sighed as Jay kissed down his chest, over the curve of his belly, and nuzzled into the trail of hair leading below his pants. Jay unbuttoned Tim’s jeans and hooked his fingers inside the waistband of both the pants and the boxers. He pulled them down slowly, kissing the exposed skin along the way.

Tim reached down, gently leading Jay up. “This is really enjoyable, but…” He pulled Jay in for a sweet kiss. “I had a nice romantic evening all planned out for our first time.” Jay grinned, and Tim blushed.

“You’re so sweet. I’m not going to say I’m not disappointed, but I’ll wait. Do you still want to take a shower with me?” Jay asked. Tim nodded, and pushed his pants and boxers down the rest of the way.

He tried to push away the anxiety rising up in his chest, and took a deep breath. Jay stepped away from him to start the shower and test the temperature. He stepped away and pushed off his pants and boxers, and stepped in.

Tim took a deep breath and stepped in behind him. He looked Jay up and down, before pulling him close under the spray of water, and kissing him lightly. Jay giggled into the kiss, and pushed the sliding door of the shower closed.

“Is this okay?” Jay asked, pulling away from the kiss but wrapping his arms around Tim’s neck.

“Kissing’s okay, yeah. We can take that next step when I sweep you off your feet,” Tim said, and Jay leaned in for another kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whaaaat? i'm updating without having a week between chapters? its a miracle!
> 
> Side note: I'm cis. I've been checking everything with a couple friends of mine to make sure everything is accurate, but if you find offense with something, you can contact me over at fullofcynicism on tumblr.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween party!

The party was roaring by the time Tim stepped inside the door, with his arm wrapped securely around Jay. Tim was wearing a mask, with the eyes, lips, and nose holes framed with black paint. He and Brian had messed around with masks a couple of years ago, before coming up with this kind of look.

When Tim put it on, Jay had laughed and told him that it eerily fit him. He then designed on of his own, of a skull, but opted instead to go as a cryptid hunter.

“Explain to me again, what is a cryptid?” Tim had asked, confused as Jay came out in a hat and with a small handheld camera. Tim had felt his heart flutter when he noticed Jay was wearing one of his jackets.

“Its a creature that definitely exists but the government denies the existence of! Kind of like, Bigfoot and Mothman.” Jay kissed the nose of Tim’s mask, grinning.

It was a week after Jay had come out to him, and Tim noticed he was far more protective of Jay. He didn’t know if it was because of Jay being trans, or if it was because that made them closer.

Tim pulled Jay closer to him, nuzzling him on the cheek gently, and they walked over to the kitchen. The fridge was stocked with all sorts of alcohol, and there was a woman sitting at a small table in the corner serving different concoctions. She smiled politely at the two, and Tim walked up to her.

“What’s your poison, stranger?” She asked, her voice like wind chimes in the gentle spring breeze. Jay looked at the menu sitting on the table, and looked at Tim.

“I should warn you, I get really handsy if I have vodka.” He grinned apologetically, and Tim laughed.

“Alex told Brian and Brian told me. I’ve got the warning. I’ll just take you home if I feel you’re getting too rowdy, and then put you to bed,” Tim said, smiling softly and looking down at the menu. He looked up at the bartender. “I’ll have a Vampire Slayer.”

“Make that two of those,” Jay said. The bartender grinned, exposing fake vampire teeth, and started making their drinks.

Tim looked at the crowd, trying to spot a familiar face in the crowd. He saw the hoodie first, and then Alex, and lightly elbowed Jay. He pointed to them, and Jay grinned.

“Two Vampire Slayers, coming right up!” The bartender said, and Tim grabbed both of their drinks. He handed one of them to Jay, and they started walking over to Brian and Alex.

Before they could reach them, however, Jay’s arm was grabbed. A muscular man was holding onto Jay’s arm, and Tim stepped in close.

“Sierra, is that you? Damn girl, you look different!” He slurred, and Jay wrenched his arm out of the guy’s hold. Tim wrapped his arm around Jay’s waist again.

“No, you must have the-” Tim started.

“Shut up, I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to Sierra,” the guy snapped at him, and Tim felt anger start to build up in his chest. He clenched his fists tightly.

“My name is Jay,” Jay muttered, and the guy laughed.

“You're still about that? Jesus, Sierra, its been seven years since you cut your hair and started wanting to be called a boy.” The man stood closer, and Tim stepped in front of Jay to protect him.

“Back off, Chris,” Jay said, and Chris frowned.

“Or what, Alex’ll break my leg again? This your new boyfriend? Does he know? Must be ugly if he’s wearing a mask. He’s fat, too. I always knew you liked the chubby ones.” Tim could smell the beer on Chris’s breath as he sneered at him.

Tim looked around, and spotted Seth in the crowd. He and Sarah were dressed as Morticia and Gomez Addams. He caught Tim’s eye, and he and Sarah wandered over.

Seth gave Chris a wide smile. “Hello! Chris, right? You're dating one of the girls in Pediatrics, right? Maria.”

Chris looked at Seth and frowned. “How do you know her?”

“I work with her! Well, not in Pediatrics, but I catch lunch with her on my break if I can. She's wonderful.” He grinned at Chris. “Chris, I see you've met Tim and Jay!”

“That isn't Jay, her name is Sierra. And her little fat boyfriend is picking a fight with me,” Chris said, and Seth laughed.

“You must be confused. That’s Jay and _his_ boyfriend. And good luck, if you’re going to fight Tim. I've seen him take on someone twice your size and still end up with the guy on the ground in five seconds.” Seth grinned up at Chris, and Chris looked at Tim.

“No way. I bet he wouldn't even be able to take me on.” Chris snorted, and Jay tugged on Tim’s arm.

“Let's go,” Jay hissed into his ear, but Tim shook his head.

“Wait.” He watched as Seth led Chris outside with the promise of a spar with Tim, and then politely told him he wasn't allowed back in the party and that if he tried coming back, Seth would not hesitate to call the police.

Tim turned to Jay, and lead him off to a quiet corner.

“Are you okay?” Tim asked quietly, bringing his hand up to rest on Jay’s cheek. Jay looked away, frowning.

“That was one of my ex boyfriends. I dated him for about six months, then he left when I told him I was trans,” Jay said, leaning into Tim's hand. “he harassed me for years, asking me when I had come to my senses and decided to be normal. That people wouldn't hate me if I was.”

Tim stroked his cheek. “I'm sorry,” he said quietly, reaching up and pulling off his mask. He leaned up and kissed Jay’s cheek, and Jay pulled away.

“I'm a little angry at you,” Jay said.

“What? Why?”

“Because I wanted to walk away but you wanted to watch him get kicked out. I'm aware people aren't going to like me, but I'm not so fragile that you have to protect me. I can protect myself if it ever comes down to it.” Jay blinked down at Tim, before averting his eyes again and taking a sip of his drink.

Tim fumbled for words, gaping. “I didn't mean to make it seem like I wanted to watch him get kicked out, I wanted to show you that you're safe here.”

“I know that, Tim. Alex and I show up to this almost every single year and I hardly ever have a problem. Did you forget that?” Jay asked, his voice quiet. “I know you mean well. But I just don't like feeling weak, and having you act like you have to protect me makes me feel weak.”

“I don't want to see you hurt,” Tim started, but stopped. “But I see what you're saying. I'm sorry. And I'll be better about that, okay?”

“I don't want to see _you_ get hurt in my place.” Jay gave him a small hug. “And you aren't fat, you know. You're a little chubby, yeah, but you aren't fat. And that doesn't make you any less attractive to me,” he murmured into his shoulder.

“I wasn't even worried about that. I've been called fat since I was a kid, it doesn't bother me now. And if it did, you always lament about how I'm great to cuddle with because I'm so warm,” Tim joked, but pressed his face into Jay’s neck. He took a breath, and Jay smelled like soil and trees, and Tim sighed. He smelled like what Tim always dreamed home would be like. “We can talk about the other things later, okay? Lets just enjoy this party for now.” Tim pulled away, leaning up to press a sweet kiss against Jay’s lips. Jay kissed him back, and stepped away.

“Okay. Yeah, let's go meet up with Brian and Alex and see how they’re doing.” Jay grabbed Tim’s hand, and pulled him through the crowd towards their friends.

Brian and Alex were sitting on a couch, with Brian’s arm draped over Alex’s shoulder and beers in their hands. Alex was talking animatedly, and Brian was giving him a look of utter infatuation. Alex was dressed in a red-blotched blue plaid shirt and jeans, and Brian was in his tan hoodie. He had his modified ski mask in his lap.

“-and all I’m saying is, she could have at least given me a warning! I come home and I find her packing her bags and saying she was leaving me. I don't even know what I did! She said she had fallen for someone else, her old roommate, but I'm open to polygamy! I'm open to a lot of things, too, I'm pansexual for a reason!” Alex was raving, hands flailing in the air.

“I get you.” Brian was rubbing his shoulder and Alex leaned into it gratefully. He sighed quietly, and looked up as Tim and Jay sat on the opposite side of them. Jay's arm settled on Tim’s shoulders and Tim set his mask down on the table.

“And, like, now there's another person but I don't know if that person is serious,” Alex continued, looking up at Brian. “And, you know what I'm saying.” Brian nodded at Alex.

“Yeah, you want to make sure they're right for you. I will support you and any decision you make about it. You'll definitely make them happy,” Brian mumbled, shoulders deflated somewhat.

Tim leaned in close to Jay, laughing quietly. “Brian isn't very bright,” he said quietly. “Unless Alex does like someone else.”

Jay shook his head. “Nope, he hasn't told me a name, but through context clues I figure it's Brian. Drunk Alex likes making moves. I'm pretty sure they'll at least kiss tonight.” Jay reached his hand from Tim’s shoulder up to play with his hair.

Tim laughed. “Drunk Brian also likes to make moves. He tried sleeping with me a couple years ago when we were doing our movie marathon, but like. I grew up with him, in college. I went from a dumb teenager who wanted to drink and party and forget how much I hated myself, to me today, and a big factor of that was him.” He shrugged, and took another drink from his cup.

Jay was quiet for a minute, before reaching over and pressing a kiss to Tim’s cheek. His hand dropped from Tim’s hair to his shoulder, before traveling down to run his fingers over his sides. “I don't blame him. You're really hot.” Jay muttered, moving his kisses from Tim’s cheek to his jaw.

Tim hummed quietly. “Jay, baby. Don't tell me you're already drunk from one drink,” he teased, leaning into the kisses. He jerked away from Jay’s hand on his side, whipping his head around. Jay had a shit-eating grin on his face, and Tim frowned at him.

“You’re-” Jay started.

“No.” Tim let out a small shriek when Jay pushed his fingers into his side again, and tried to keep the laughter in. He clapped one hand over his mouth, and Jay threw his head back and laughed.

Tim looked over at Brian and Alex to see them in a staring contest, neither one of them breaking contact.

Tim nudged Jay. “Its happening,” he muttered, and they watched Brian and Alex.

Brian moved first, drawing his hand up from Alex’s back to the back of his head. He leaned in slowly, as if in a dream of in slow motion, and tilted his head. Alex rested his hands on Brian’s thighs, head twisted up.

Their lips met, and Tim could hear the audible sigh of relief from the two when neither one pulled away. He grinned, and Alex moved his hands from Brian’s thighs to up his sides, to wrap around his neck. He pulled away, but kissed him again, this time deeper.

Tim turned to Jay, grinning. “Why don't you kiss me like that?” He teased, and Jay gasped dramatically. He grinned and looped his arms around Tim’s neck.

“You're such a dork,”Jay mumbled, before pressing his lips to Tim’s.

The kiss was different from any others they had shared before. There was heat, but it was soft, and Tim didn't feel like pulling away. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was Jay, or maybe it was him. Tim didn't know, but he pushed into the kiss. He grabbed Jay’s waist and pulled him onto his lap, hands wandering up and down Jay’s back and sides.

They pulled away to breathe, and Jay’s face was flushed. Tim leaned in, pressing kisses to Jay’s cheeks and nose and jaw and neck, and Jay tilted his head.

Jay let out a small whine, and Tim nipped at Jay’s jaw. He trailed more kisses up Jay’s jawline, before moving back to his lips.

He kissed him deeply, opening his mouth and gently pushing his tongue into Jay’s mouth. He grabbed Jay’s hips tightly, and Jay let out a quiet moan.

Tim pulled away, lightening his grip. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” He asked, rubbing circles into the area.

Jay grinned at him, and shook his head. “No, no. I'm okay. My hips are just… sensitive.” He said, and shifted to a move comfortable position on Tim’s lap.

Tim thought for a moment before connecting the dots. “Oh.” He moved his hands from Jays hips to hug his waist again. “Sorry.”

“I didn't say stop,” Jay murmured, leaning down and nipping Tim’s ear. Tim squeaked, and grabbed Jay's hips to push him off of him.

“I'mgonnagogetusmoredrinks!” He said, standing up and walking quickly through the crowd. He could feel Jay’s eyes on his back, burning a hole through his shirt.

He stopped on a wall, and took a deep breath. _I just shoved my boyfriend off of my lap… What is wrong with me?_

He stepped over to the bartender to get two more drinks after a moment, and he sighed. He'll apologize to Jay when he got back to the couches.

Tim ordered two more Vampire Slayers, and made his way back through the crowd. Jay was on the couch, stretched out with his phone in his hands. Brian and Alex were gone.

Tim sat down next to Jay quietly.

“Sorry-” They both started, then stopped and looked at each other. Jay laughed nervously, and motioned for Tim to go first.

Tim took a deep breath, thinking. “Sorry, that was really mean, it was just getting a little too much for me,” he said, handing Jay his drink. “I don't know why I don't want to go further right now.”

Jay took the drink and took a sip. “I was going to say sorry for pushing that boundary you set. You said you weren't ready until that date in a few days, and I should be respecting that. But Tim…” Jay trailed off, and put his hand on Tim’s cheek. “You don't have to force yourself for me. If you're not into it, you're not into it. It wouldn't be fair for me to force you into that.”

Tim brought his hand up to grab Jay’s, and held it there. “I want to. I do. I just, I don't know. Sometimes I just need a little more intimacy in a relationship before wanting to take that step.” Jay gave him an understanding look.

“We can talk more in depth about this later,” Jay promised. Tim nodded, and leaned in close to Jay. Jay wrapped his arm around Tim’s shoulders again, kissing his cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Half of this was written on a phone can u believe that


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was really hard to write i dont know why

Rain battered the large windows of the hospital lobby, and Tim walked next to Marisa. Their shift was nearly over, with the three officers on duty being him, Marisa, and Brian. Tim buzzed with nervous energy. The two stepped into the elevator as the wind howled outside.

“You’re taking Jay out tonight, right? That special date you’ve been thinking about for a while?” Marisa asked Tim. “What were you planning?” The lights in the elevator flickered above them, and Tim and Marisa both looked up at them. The elevator groaned and creaked, but delivered them safely to the basement.

“He really likes mysteries, so I was going to take him to an escape room with a nice dinner afterwards,” Tim replied, stepping out of the elevator and turning left. He walked up to the security office, unlocking the door quickly and stepping inside. “And hopefully Brian’s out of the house by that time. He’s been staying with me because his apartment building’s been getting renovated.” Tim sat down at the desk, leaning back in his chair. He looked over at Marisa to see her grinning, and narrowed his eyes. “What?” She sat down in the other chair, and wheeled herself over to him.

“You’re going to get dicked, my son. I’m so proud of you,” she teased him, leaning over and pulling him out of his chair to give him a hug. The chair tipped over, and clattered to the ground, with Tim being pulled into her lap. He tried pushing out of her grasp, but to no avail, he was unable to escape.

She let him go when they heard keys jingling outside the door, and Tim fell to the floor. He scrambled to his feet, and brushed himself off. The door swung open slowly, and a disgruntled Brian stood at the door. He was dripping wet, with his hair slicked to his head.

“It’s raining outside,” he said, stepping inside and letting the door close. He shook his head, and droplets of water splattered all over the other two in the office. Marisa let out a small shriek, and wheeled herself behind Tim to protect herself from the spray.

“The forecast said rain,” Marisa said, laughing quietly. “You’re the one who happily agreed to drive around today, Mr. I’m Sleeping On Tim’s Couch.”

“Hey, my apartment is getting renovated, and I’ve been fucking Alex for like, a week, and I’ve known him a month. I’m not going to bug him and stay at his place for a week and bother him.” Brian leaned on the desk, giving Marisa an unamused look.

Tim reached down to grab that chair that had fallen on the ground, and lifted it up. He set it down in its upright position, before sitting down in it.

“You're just scared to let the relationship evolve!” Marisa said, grinning. Tim heard Brian groan and a knock on the door. He looked over to see Brian open the door for shift change, and sighed quietly.

“Good, you guys are here on time today,” he grumbled, before grabbing his keys and phone. He handed the security set to the next supervisor, a decently nice guy named Brendan, and handed the checkpoint scanner to the foot patrol, Jackson.

“Nothing special happened today, other than the usual nurses calling to be let in. Now, it’s eight in the morning, we’ve been here all night, we’ve also had to stay late for you guys for the past week, and Tim needs to go home and sleep and get some rest for his date tonight.” Tim gave Marisa a nasty look.

“Tim’s got a girl? Wow, I never thought he would,” Brendan said, snickering. “I always thought he was a fag. No offense meant.”

Tim didn’t realize he was getting out of his chair until Brian put his hand on his shoulder. He took a breath, and let himself relax. He reached for his phone, turning on the camera and pressing record. “No, I don’t have a girl. I’m dating a guy right now. I’m bi,” he said calmly, staring down Brendan.

“So you’re a selfish fag, alright. Cool. Don’t hit on me or I’ll bash your head in,” Brendan sneered at him. “I’m okay with gay people until they push it on me.”

“I’m not gay and you should probably watch what you say. You never knew who’s what. Now, I have a date to prepare for, for my awesome boyfriend.” Tim grabbed his car keys before looking at Brian. He grabbed his own stuff, and set his hospital keys, security cell phone, and the checkpoint scanner phone down on the counter.

The air was tense, with an awkward silence between the group of people in the room. Brian lead Tim out of the room, giving Brendan a nasty look. Marisa followed them, and with one look at her, Tim could tell she was furious.

“I’m filing a report with HR. That’s bullshit,” she growled once they got outside the building. Brian set a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t try to convince me otherwise. I didn’t like him and now I have a reason to!” He started walking towards his car, and Tim and Marisa followed.

“It’s fine, Mar. Tim can handle this. He’s going to make Brendan dig a deeper hole for himself.” Brian chuckled when she grumbled and crossed her arms.

“See, what he doesn’t know, is I was recording him the entire time.” Tim waved his phone in the air. “And I’m going to email it to Maria when we get home.” Marisa grinned, looping one arm around his waist and hugging him.

“You are evil, Timothy.” She split off, and walked to her car. She waved at them, and Tim waved back.

“So, this date. What’re you planning again?” Brian asked as he unlocked his car. He slipped in the seat, and Tim followed suit. “Because I need to let Alex know what time I’m coming over.”

“At six, I’m taking him to an escape room. After that, at eight, I have reservations at Rosswood.”

“Rosswood, isn’t that that crazy expensive restaurant?” Brian asked, turning the key, and Tim nodded. The engine roared to life, and Tim pulled the seatbelt on.

“Yeah. And then after that, I’m going to take him back to my place. He’s never been there before, so I want to keep it clean. He’s going to stay the night, so if you come back tonight, be quiet. We’re going to be in my room.”

“So you’re going to have sex.” Brian snickered, and Tim felt his face flush. “I’m excited for you.”

“Shut up.”

“No, I’m serious, you haven’t slept with anyone in two years. I’m glad you found someone you like enough to even think about sleeping with them.” Brian turned on the heater, and shifted into reverse. He backed out, and they sat in silence as Brian drove to Tim’s.

Brian parked the car outside, next to Tim’s bike, and Tim hopped out. He walked up to the door of the house, unlocking it and stepping inside. In front of him were stairs to the second floor, where his bedroom and a guest room was. To the left was the living room and bathroom. To the right was a big kitchen. Tim walked up the stairs, yawning.

“Okay, I have a couple hours of sleep, and then it's time to get ready. If you’re going to be up for a while, keep it down. If I’m not up by four, come up and get me up. I don’t want to screw this up,” Tim said to Brian. He heard a noncommittal hum, and walked into his room.

There was a neatly made bed in the middle of the room, with the elegant oak headboard pushed against the wall. The white carpet was free of stains, but Tim still felt anxious. He had spent nearly an entire week cleaning his apartment during his free time for this day. The dresser across from the bed held a large tv. A desk was pushed in the corner, a computer on top of it with a laptop on the nightstand. He plugged his phone in and set it on the nightstand.

Tim walked over to the closet and slid open the mirrored doors. He unbuttoned his uniform shirt and shrugged it off. He grabbed a clothing hanger from the closet and neatly set his shirt on it. He hung it up, before pulling the black undershirt off too. He stripped down to his boxers, and walked over to the neatly made bed. He pulled back the covers and climbed in.

The sheet were flannel, and soft through years of use. Tim felt his body ache, and let out a soft sigh. He stretched his arms above his head, hearing and feeling his back make a satisfying crack. He reached over for his phone, unlocking it and tapping his alarm clock. He set an alarm for 3:30 pm, and another one thirty minutes later.

He set the phone back down next to the laptop, and rolled over onto his left side. The blankets bunched under his arm, so Tim reached out and grabbed the edge. He pulled them up over his shoulder, and brought his knees up. He took one deep breath and closed his eyes, and easily fell asleep.

In what seemed like a couple minutes, Tim awoke to his alarm clock blaring. He groaned and stretched, rolling over to stop the alarm. He let out a yawn and brought his hands up to rub at his eyes.

He pushed the covers off of him, and swung his legs out of the bed. He walked to the master bathroom.

The bathroom was large, with a sleek black and white design. The countertops were black, and the walls were grey. The shower was matched with a bath, and Tim frowned.

What would Jay think of it? Would he think it was too extravagant? Or trashy?

Tim shook his head to clear the thoughts away. He stepped into the shower, turning on the shower head and sighing as the warm water hit his skin.

He quickly washed his hair and body, before jumping out. He patted himself down with a towel, before wrapping it around his waist and walking back into his room. There was a quiet knock on the door, and Brian poked his head in.

“Oh, good, you’re awake. So I went for a walk while you were gone, and I found something. It’s a dog that was digging through your trash. And I hope it’s okay if I keep it here until my apartment gets done being renovated?” Brian said softly, cuddling something small in his hands. Tim walked over, and peered down at the small bundle of fur.

In Brian’s hands was what looked like a puppy, but the puppy was in a bad place. The nose was too long, the body was too skinny, and the hind leg was splayed at an awkward angle.

“Brian, you’re an idiot. Where’d you find this? This isn’t a dog. I can’t have a coyote in my apartment.” Tim took the pup from Brian, lifting it in the air. “He’s filthy. But, I’ll tell you what. I’ll help you clean him up and we can put him in the backyard. I’ve got a cage in the garage. You can nurse him back to health and then set him free,” he said. He handed the pup back to Brian.

“It looks like his leg is broken, and also, you live in a literal house. But, okay, I'll go wait downstairs,” Brian said, cupping the pup and holding it close.

Tim looked down at the coyote, who looked fearfully back up at him. “Okay, okay. Let me get dressed, and I’ll come down in a minute. Then we can deal with this,” he said, pushing Brian and the coyote pup out of the room.

He closed the door and pulled off the towel. He dropped it in the hamper in the corner of the room, before walking to the dresser. He pulled out a black pair of boxer briefs, and pulled them on. He looked at himself in the mirrored doors of the closet, frowning slightly. He adjusted himself in his shorts, and walked over. He reached inside and pulled out the outfit he had planned to wear.

Black jeans were paired with a red flannel, with a black undershirt to match. He took the towel and dried off his hair, before pulling on his clothes. He walked to the nightstand and checked his phone, then shoved it in his pocket.

He took one last look in the mirror, before heading downstairs to help Brian.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is like. 90% porn. I was going to put the date but it was too long and wanted to get this out.

Tim was running a little bit late in getting over to Jay’s apartment. The coyote pup decided that Tim’s shirt was the perfect place to defecate, and of course, being a wild animal that was sick, it was running and sticky and Tim had to change immediately. He could almost swear that he still stunk.

He had put on a blue flannel, one that still went decently well with his outfit, but it wasn’t his favorite look. Red just seemed to draw his features out more.

He knocked on the door, and Jay opened it. The other man looked relieved, as if he was thinking Tim wouldn’t show. “Sorry I’m a little late,” Tim apologized, leaning up to give Jay a sweet kiss on the lips.

“Don’t worry about it, I was only a little scared,” Jay teased. “I thought you weren’t going to show, and usually you text me if you’re late.” He kissed Tim back, a small smile on his face. “Anyway, where are you taking me? You said it was going to be a surprise, and Alex said I would definitely enjoy myself from what Brian was telling him. But he didn’t tell me where you’re taking me.”

Tim looked down at Jay’s clothes, smiling softly. He was wearing a nice pair of jeans, with an army green hoodie. He hummed, reaching out to touch the collar of the hoodie.

“Is this new? I haven’t seen it before. It looks great on you, Jay,” Tim said, leaning in close to press another sweet kiss to his lips. “And tonight we’re going to have fun, then have dinner, and I was thinking maybe taking you back to my place if it all goes well.” He gave Jay a small, nervous smile.

“Oh, okay. I’ll have to let Alex know I’m not making it home tonight then, so he can watch Jessica,” Jay said, wrapping his arms around Tim’s neck and pulling him in even closer for a longer kiss. Tim wrapped his arms around Jay’s waist, holding him gently.

“We should really get going, it starts at six. We have less than a half hour to get there and check in,” Tim told him, pulling away from the embrace and leading him out to the bike. He swung his leg over, pulled his helmet on, and Jay climbed on behind him. He wrapped his arms tightly around Tim’s torso after pulling on his helmet, and Tim couldn’t help but smile.

“You still haven’t told me where we’re going,” Jay reminded him as he started the engine. Tim leaned back into him slightly.

“You’ll see when we get there!” Tim said, revving the engine and taking off down the street.

They arrived at Tim’s apartment a couple hours later, and Jay walked in behind Tim. He slowed to a stop, taking it all in.

“You didn’t tell me you live in an actual house and not an apartment building,” Jay said, grinning at Tim.

“It was kind of a gift from my dad. He paid the first few months rent, in an attempt to try to get me to be a lawyer and go to law school. It’s really not much,” Tim said shyly, giving a half smile to Jay and stepping up the stairs. He turned and looked back at Jay. “You coming?” He asked quietly.

“Oh, yeah.” Jay stepped up the stairs with Tim, his footsteps light and carrying a nervous energy. He reached up to entwine his fingers with Tim’s.

Tim led him up to the bedroom, and sat down on the bed. He looked up at Jay, biting his lip nervously. “I haven’t done this in awhile and I might be really bad at it. Just, warning you now.” He laughed quietly, anxiously. He fiddled with the flannel’s buttons, discarding it as Jay walked over.

Jay gently pushed Tim back onto the bed, climbing over him and sitting on his hips. “Okay, well, tell me if you want me to stop. And if you’re bad at it, I’ll still probably end up liking it, because its you.” He leaned down, connecting their lips softly. Tim hummed into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Jay’s waist and pulling him closer.

Jay let out a soft sigh, letting his hands wander down Tim’s chest. He felt Tim’s body, and slipped his hands under his shirt.

“Wait.” Tim sat up a little, and Jay pulled away. He gave Tim a confused look, and let out a quiet yelp when he was lifted. Tim tried quieting his racing mind, biting his tongue to focus on something else. “I want you. So bad,” Tim said softly, grabbing Jay’s thighs and standing up. Jay clung to him, not expecting the sudden movement.

Tim set Jay down on the bed, parting his thighs and lying between them. “Better,” Tim said. “Let me know if I'm crushing you, okay? I don't want to hurt you.”

“You're fine,” Jay said softly, pulling Tim’s face down for a kiss. Tim settled his hands on Jay’s hips, fingertips inching their way under his shirt. He pushed it up, exposing the smooth expanse of Jay’s stomach. A trail of hair led from his navel down to below his pants, and Tim ran his fingers over the coarse, but neatly trimmed hair.

“You shaved?” Tim asked, breaking away from the kiss to move his lips to Jay’s neck. Jay hummed in response, tilting his head, and pushing his body up into Tim’s hand.

Tim pulled away to get Jay’s shirt off, thumbs tracing the scars, before running up to the nipples. Jay let out a soft sigh of pleasure, the arms around Tim’s neck tightening.

Tim felt Jay’s grip loosen, and felt him remove his arms. Fingers teased at the edge of Tim’s shirt, before slowly pulling it off. Jay’s hands wandered over his soft belly, before reaching to smooth over Tim’s pants.

Jay let out a small giggle, and Tim felt his face flush. “Hey, I'm not the biggest and I know that,” Tim started defensively. Jay stopped him with a kiss.

“You're perfect.” Jay unbuttoned Tim’s pants, pulling the zipper down and wiggling the pants down to his knees. “Ugh, you're kneeling on the bed and I can't get your pants off all the way,” he complained, and Tim couldn't help but laugh.

Tim slipped back, letting his jeans fall to the floor, and reached for Jay’s pants. He unbuttoned the button and pulled them down slowly. He discarded both pairs of pants on the ground, before climbing back on top of Jay and kissing him deeply.

Tim grabbed at Jay’s hips, eliciting a quiet gasp from the other, and pulled their bodies closer. He couldn't remember the last time he had done this with anyone, and the friction felt heavenly.

“You know what, I'm glad we waited. Because liking you as much as I do makes this so much more pleasurable,” Jay mumbled out, hands clutching at Tim’s back. Tim felt his heart flutter, and he ground his hips against Jay’s.

Tim let his fingers dip underneath Jay’s boxers, slowly dragging against his folds. Jay let out another gasp, digging his nails in Tim’s back.

Tim pushed his middle finger inside of Jay, feeling inside of him. He slowly pulled his finger out, dragging his wet finger over through Jay’s dick again. He pulled his hand away.

A quiet whine carried through the air from Jay, and Tim shushed him with a gentle kiss. He reached down and hooked his fingers under the waistband of Jay’s underwear and pulled them down.

Tim sat back, and admired Jay. “You look delicious,” he muttered, pulling him closer by the hips and grinding his hips again. Jay let out a louder whine, groaning and bucking his hips back into Tim.

“You're such a tease,” Jay said, pulling Tim’s hair and pushing his face back in his neck.

Tim nipped and sucked at Jay’s skin, leaving a trail of faint pink marks behind. He pushed his hand between their hips, rubbing between the folds again. Jay was decently wet, and Tim was able to push his middle finger in once again, fingering him until he was loose.

He pushed in a second finger, arching them inside of Jay, and Jay let out a low moan. Tim could feel him clenching around his fingers, and he continued to pump them into his boyfriend.

He pulled them out, dragging them over the soft skin. He pulled away, pulling off the bed, and wiped his fingers on his underwear. He stepped over to his nightstand, and pulled the drawer out. He grabbed the bottle of lube, and pulled out the box of condoms. He opened the box, pulling out one of the foil wrapped rubbers, and turned back to the bed.

Jay was still laying down, but one of his hands reached down towards his dick, and he was rubbing it with his fingers. His eyes were closed, and he was biting his lip.

Tim pushed off his boxers before settling back on the bed, and pushed his cock against Jay’s thigh. Jay let out a sigh, and moved his hand to stroke Tim. Tim let out a sigh, before opening the cap of the lube and coating his fingers.

Jay made a noise of complaint when Tim gently batted his hand away.

“Be a good boy and be patient,” Tim teased lightly, pushing his slicked fingers back into Jay. He pumped them, spreading Jay out and arching his fingers. He pushed his thumb on Jay’s head, and he arched his back.

“See? We have to stretch you out,” he said, leaning down to press sweet kisses against Jay’s cheeks. Jay let out an unintelligible mumble, his hand reaching up and running through Tim’s hair.

Tim kept fingering Jay, but he pulled his fingers out and reached for the condom. He ripped the foil, discarding it on the floor, and rolling the condom on. He coated himself in lube, leaning down and kissing the skin under Jay’s ear.

“Are you ready?” He asked softly, and Jay nodded.

Tim pushed himself in, letting out a sigh and holding Jay’s hips. Jay let out a small noise, bringing his hands up and running them over Tim’s shoulders. Their hips met, and Tim leaned down to press a kiss to Jay’s lips.

“Give me a minute to adjust to the feeling,” Jay muttered, shifting his hips around. Tim reached one hand down, gently thumbing over Jay’s head to help him relax. He leaned down to bite at the other’s neck, again, leaving more pink marks on his skin.

“Let me know when I can move, babe.” Tim nuzzled his nose into Jay’s neck, letting out a small noise. “Because you feel really, really good.”

“You can move, but go slowly,” Jay said, bringing his hand up to run it through Tim’s hair. He let out a small gasp when Tim grabbed his hips, pulling them close and slowly rocking his hips. Tim dropped his head onto Jay’s neck, pressing small kisses to his skin.

Jay let out a few quiet sighs, pushing his hips back into Tim and letting his hands rest on Tim’s shoulders. Tim thrusted his hips slowly, pulling out almost completely and slowly sliding back in. He grabbed Jay’s hands and pinned them above his head and shifted his hips to get a little bit more leverage. He sped up his thrusts, and felt his heart flutter when he looked down and met Jay’s eyes.

Tim didn’t last long. It was over embarrassingly quick. He let out a strangled gasp, and arched his body against Jay, and slowed. He pulled off, and looked at Jay.

Jay had a small, disappointed face. He tried hiding it, but Tim could see he was disappointed.

“Sorry, its. It’s been awhile,” Tim muttered, kissing Jay. Jay sat up on the bed, avoiding Tim’s eye.

“It’s okay.” Jay’s face said the opposite. Tim kissed him again, before backing up on the bed and pulling off the condom. He tied it off, and tossed it in the general direction of the waste bin in the corner of the room.

Tim ran his hands up Jay’s thighs, giving him a smile before bending down and kissing his inner thigh. Jay let out a surprised noise, and grabbed Tim’s face.

“You don’t have to,” he said quietly, and Tim grinned.

“Where’s the fun of me getting off and you not?” He teased, continuing to kiss Jay’s inner thighs. He nipped the soft skin gently, and Jay groaned.

He lapped across Jay’s lips, to his head, and closed his mouth around it. He gave a small suck, and brought one hand up. He pushed two fingers inside of him, and spread him apart.

He felt hands in his hair, tugging and heard Jay’s tiny whimpers. He grinned, and pushed his tongue in between the folds of the other. Jay wrapped his legs gently around his neck, and let out another quiet sigh.

He kept up a pattern of licking and sucking and fingering, and he heard Jay let out a quiet moan. His body shook, and his toes curled, and he lay back against the pillows. Tim felt Jay tighten around his fingers and tongue. Tim pulled his mouth away, and looked down at Jay.

His eyes were closed, his hair was a mess, and he was panting. Tim sat back, and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. He leaned in close, pressing a kiss to Jay’s forehead.

“Better?” He asked. Jay nodded, trying to catch his breath. “Good, I’m going to go and get a wet washcloth and clean us off, and then we can lay in bed and sleep. Sound good?”

“Don’t leave,” Jay said, reaching up and wrapping his arms weakly around Tim’s neck.

“Okay, we can go shower, and then come back and sleep. Which one would you like?” Tim asked him, and Jay hummed and sat up weakly. “Shower it is.” He said, reaching up and pulling Jay’s arms off of his neck. He crawled off the bed, and Jay followed him. He stood up, swaying slightly with shaking knees, and followed Tim into the bathroom.

Tim started the water, turning it to warm, and Jay admired the bathroom. “Why do you have such nice of a place and why haven’t I been here before?” He whined playfully, letting out a yawn.

“I don’t know, you just never got around to coming over here?” Tim said, shrugging and stepping into the shower. Jay stepped in after him, and Tim pulled him close.

“I told you it had been awhile and that I wasn’t going to be any good,” Tim said, laughing quietly. “But I wasn’t going to let you sit there unsatisfied.” Jay hummed, and leaned into him.

Tim washed their bodies, kissing Jay occasionally, and then turned the water off. He grabbed one towel from outside the glass doors, and pulled it around Jay’s shoulders. He stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel for him too.

He dried them both off, and then lead Jay back to the room. He pulled out two pairs of boxers, one for him and one for Jay, and pulled them on. He watched as Jay pulled his on. They were a little loose on him.

“Come on, into bed,” Tim said, leading Jay over. He pulled the covers back, and climbed in. He pulled Jay against his chest, and laid back. Jay was asleep in minutes, Tim running his fingers gently through his hair. Tim let out a yawn, and laid back as well. He rested his head on the pillow, took one deep breath, and fell into a dreamless sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

By the time December rolled around, the town was blanketed in a thick layer of snow. Tim made frequent stops at Alex’s coffee shop before and after work for a warm drink (and maybe to flirt with Jay a little too). Sometimes they would be busy, and Jay would look stressed out, but that vanished as soon as Jay caught eyes with Tim.

New Years Eve fell on a weekend, and it was really busy when Tim stepped in. He was in uniform, with a heavy duty jacket wrapped around him and a black beanie over his ears. His shift had just ended, and he had asked Brian to drop him off here. Jay was supposed to get off soon, and Tim wanted to walk him home.

He stepped in line, blowing on his hands to warm them up, and looked for Jay. He was making drinks behind the glass and explaining things to the new girl they had recently hired. Alex was taking orders.

The line moved fairly quickly, and within moments Tim stepped up to the counter. He grinned at Alex, who smiled sheepishly at him. “Busy day?” Tim asked.

“Are you sure you and Brian don’t want to volunteer to help today? I have Jared and Justin coming in soon, but we could always use a couple pretty faces to help us,” Alex teased, smirking. “What’re you having today?”

“Lets go with... a medium hot toasted white chocolate mocha. I’m in the mood for chocolate. And, you already have a pretty face helping you,” Tim said, handing Alex his card. Alex laughed and shook his head. He swiped the card, and handed it back to him. He called for the next person, and Tim shuffled to the side.

He waited at the end of the counter for his drink, and pulled out his phone. The background was of him and Jay, with Jay sweetly kissing his cheek. Tim smiled softly, the picture had been taken by Brian at their Christmas party.

“Hey, sweetpea, mind putting your number on that cup for me this time?” Tim heard, and looked up to see a guy leaning up against the counter and looking at Jay. He was smirking, the look in his eye making Tim curl his lip.

“Sorry, I don’t give my phone number out,” Jay said politely, handing the cup to the man. He wasn’t looking at him, and was working on the next drink, but the guy didn’t leave.

“How about an address, darlin’?” He persisted, taking a sip of the drink. Jay sent him a glare.

“I have a boyfriend, and I’m not interested in anyone else. I told you this last time,” Jay said, but the guy laughed.

“Come on, honey, don’t be shy. How about you take a break right now, and you and I go back behind the store, and I show you just how good a blow can be,” the man cooed, and Tim took a deep breath. He stepped in close.

“He said no, now leave him alone,” Tim said, glaring at the man. The man looked over at him and curled his lip.

“Oh, look, we got a white knight here. Go sit down, kiddo,” the guy said, waving his hand to dismiss Tim. Tim watched as two employees shuffled behind the bar, waiting on Alex to give them directions.

“You’re harassing the barista. And, he obviously looks uncomfortable.” Tim watched as Jay stepped away from the drinks with Justin taking his place. He stepped over to the computer, and pressed a few buttons, before walking out from behind the bar. He had a drink in hand.

“Obviously not, see? He’s taking my suggestion of taking a break so I can show him a good time,” the man said, standing straighter and watching Jay.

Jay stepped over to Tim, relief in his eyes, and reached out to wrap his arms around Tim’s neck. He pulled away slightly, to hand Tim his drink. He let out a sigh, and Tim hugged him back. He wrapped his arm around Jay’s waist, and turned back to the guy. 

“Actually, Steven, I’m greeting my boyfriend,” Jay said. Tim leaned into Jay, looking up at him and smiling softly.

“You’re dating this asshole? I could break him with two fingers,” Steven complained. He stepped up to Tim, towering over him, and glared down at him.

Tim flicked his eyes over to the counter, where Alex was making a face. He sighed, and looked at the man. He opened his mouth, but Alex interrupted him.

“Jay breaks him with two fingers, from what I hear,” Alex said, and Tim felt his face go hot. He opened his mouth again to protest, but Alex’s face told him to stop. He closed his mouth, and watched as Alex walked around the counter. He put his hand on Steven’s shoulder, and slowly pushed him towards the exit.

“You are eighty-sixed from my cafe. If you come back, I will have the police arrest you for trespassing.”

“You can’t arrest me, cops don’t show up for that,” Steven argued.

“They do when the Chief of Police is my partners father,” Alex said, shoving Steven out the door and closing it. He turned back to the few people in the restaurant. “Sorry about that, folks. Before you leave today, please come to the register to get your next drink on us.” He stepped back behind the counter.

Tim turned back to Jay, pulling him close and kissing his cheek. He looked out the big shop windows, watching the setting sun settle golden rays on the thick pillows of snow. He looked at Jay, seeing the lines on his face from stress, and looked up at Alex. “Am I good to take him home now?” He asked. Alex nodded at him, and Tim took another drink of his coffee. Being in his work force, he had the habit of draining drinks as quickly as possible.

“Yeah, I have this handled. Go ahead, have a great night,” he said, giving the pair a smile. He had a glint in his eye, as if he knew what Tim was planning.

Tim flushed lightly, before letting go of Jay to let him grab his stuff from the staff room. Alex gave him a sly grin, before turning around and giving tasks to his staff. Jay came out of the staff room a few minutes later, a light blue scarf wrapped around his face and a heavy, familiar jacket wrapped around his shoulders.

“Hey, thats where that went,” Tim teased him, pulling him close and grabbing his hand. He saw the corners of Jay’s eyes crinkle, a hint of a smile warming his expression. They stepped out into the snow and the wind, and Jay flinched against the brutal winter force. Tim pulled him closer, wrapping an arm around Jay’s waist, and walked with him. He spotted a garbage can not too far, and walked closer to toss his empty cup

They crossed the street, into the park. A light snowfall started, soft fluffy flakes falling from above. Tim watched as it fell, dancing on the light breeze and pushing into the pairs faces. He smiled softly, tightening the arm around Jay’s waist.

“The snow is pretty, but its so cold,” Jay murmured, and Tim turned to look at him. Jay had stopped and was looking up into the sky, with some light flakes catching and collecting on his eyelashes. Tim felt his face grow warm, and he stepped closer to Jay.

Jay made a noise of confusion when Tim lightly grabbed his chin and pulled his face down, pushing up to give him a sweet kiss. Jay’s lips were warm, but slightly chapped, and he let out a sigh at the kiss.

Jay pushed back into it, turning and stepping close to Tim. Tim felt his arms drape around his shoulders, holding him close. He felt hot, and let out a quiet, needy laugh. He pulled away, looking up into Jay’s eyes.

“Sorry, I don’t know what got into me,” he murmured, but Jay just laughed and pressed their lips together again. The kiss was soft and slow, neither of the boys in any hurry. Tim held his waist tight, kissing him as if he were the last breath of air in the world.

They were interrupted by a snowball being flung at them, hitting Tim in the back of the head. He looked around, glaring into the trees of the park. He heard laughter, gruff and smothered, and held Jay closer.

“Hold on,” he said quietly to Jay, letting him go to trek through the snow to the sound of the laughter. Another snowball hit him in the back, with enough force to almost tip him over, and he whipped his head around, only to take one to the face.

“This ain’t funny.” He brushed the snow out of his eyes, glaring into the woods, and walked back towards Jay.

He looked towards his boyfriend, only to see him backed against a tree by the man from the shop earlier. Jay looked uncomfortable, his arms crossed across his chest. He couldn’t hear what Steven was saying, but he saw from Jay’s expression it wasn’t good.

He felt fire in his skin as he walked closer, snow crunching beneath his footsteps.

“-could treat you right. Don’t you think that’s great, honey?” Tim heard Steven say, watched him reach up and grab Jay’s chin.

“Let me go, I told you I wasn’t interested!” Jay said. Steven tightened his grip on Jay’s chin, causing Jay to cry out.

“Get off my boyfriend,” Tim said, voice low and dangerous. He clenched his fist.

“God dammit, why won’t you stay away,” Steven said, turning to face Tim. “You’re just a weak, pathe-”

Tim felt his fist connect with Steven’s jaw, and watched as the taller man fell to the snow-blanketed forest floor with a small thud.

Tim stepped in front of Jay, his fist stinging. “Are you okay?” He asked, hands hovering over Jay’s body. Jay shook his head, stepping away from the tree and clutching Tim’s hand.

“Let’s go home,” Jay mumbled, voice shaking and quiet. He looked down at Steven on the ground, quickly stepping over his legs and pulling Tim with him.

Tim wrapped his arm gently around Jay’s waist, holding him tightly.

“I’m sorry I let that happen to you,” Tim said quietly. He knew it wasn’t his fault, but if he hadn’t walked away from Jay in the first place… He felt his breathing hike up, felt himself falling deeper and deeper into a pit. His thoughts ran in circles, and he felt the cold wind pierce his skin and twist icy needles into his lungs.

“Hey.” Jay stopped, facing Tim. He grabbed his chin gently and looked at him sweetly. “Stop going where I can’t follow. It wasn’t anything you did, he wasn’t very nice to begin with. What matters is that you were there.” He reached down and grabbed Tim’s hand. He brought the knuckles to his lips, and pressed a sweet kiss to the forming bruise. “We’ll put some ice on this when we get home.” He looked into Tim’s eyes, his own bright and twinkling.

Tim let out a soft laugh, grinning. “Okay.” He pulled Jay close again, kissing his cheek sweetly.

The rest of the walk home was uneventful, the two just enjoying the snow and quickly forgetting about Steven. When they got to Tim’s home, the snow had turned from a light snowfall to a near blizzard. Tim quickly unlocked the door, and let him and Jay inside.

“Okay, I’m going to change, then we can watch movies,” Tim said, and kissed Jay’s cheek sweetly. Jay giggled, and followed him up the stairs.

“I’m taking a pair of your sweatpants,” he said, and Tim smiled. He loved seeing Jay in his clothes.

“Okay.” Tim quickly changed out of his uniform, hanging it up gingerly and stripping down to his boxers. He reached into his dresser, pulling out a black pair of sweatpants. He looked over at Jay, who was laying on the bed. He was already changed, and was giving Tim a sweet look.

He beckoned Tim over, and Tim, helpless under his spell, climbed onto the bed and kissed him sweetly.

“You taste like chocolate, by the way,” Jay said, giggling. Tim smiled at him, and kissed him again.

“You taste like… I don’t know, but you taste like something that’s very you and I can’t get enough of it. I love it,” Tim muttered against Jay’s lips, pulling away and petting his cheek with his thumb.

He took a deep breath, the world around him seemingly stopped. Jay’s eyes were shining, and he grinned. “I had planned on making you dinner before I said this, but I think right now is the perfect time,” he said softly.

“I’m in love with you. I didn’t know I could even feel that, but I am. I can’t go a day without thinking about you, and I want you to just know how much I love you,” He said quietly, holding Jay close. “I haven’t ever thought that I’d actually want to just be with someone like I do you.”

Jay hugged him, tucking his face in his neck, the tips of his ears red with a blush. He let out a strangled noise into Tim’s neck, mumbling something along the lines of “I love you too”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoops this was months late sorry folks


	12. Chapter 12

Mid-January showed an unusual warm front, and the boys decided it was time to plan a day off and have fun with just the four of them. Tim’s house was the biggest, so it was chosen for the movie night. He had moved the couch back to the wall to give the living room more space, before laying a pile of blankets on the arm of one couch. The kitchen was cleaned, and the fridge cleared out.

Brian had showed up early in the afternoon, packs of beer in his hands and a smile on his face. Tim let him in with a grin on his face, and put the beer in the fridge. Alex showed up a little bit later, holding a couple bottles of whiskey, and Jay arrived last, after working at the cafe, a leash wrapped around his hand and a harnessed cat at his feet. Tim greeted Brian and Alex with a fistbump, and Jay with a sweet kiss. He brought them all into the living room, where he had set up chips and dip and a stack of movies.

Brian settled himself by Tim’s side, with his arm discreetly around Alex’s waist, and Jay had curled up into Tim’s side. Tim had wrapped his arm around Jay’s arm, hugging him close. Jessica was exploring the house, quickly finding the litter box in the downstairs bathroom. Tim had set it up weeks before, when Jay started staying over for days on end.

The thought of him and Jay living together sent embers through his veins, sparking and multiplying until he was warm and couldn’t help but smile a little bit. They had talked about it, but Jay’s lease wasn’t up for another three months, and they would go from there.

The evening started off quiet, with Tim, Jay, and Alex sitting on the couch, and Brian on the floor leaning up against Alex’s legs. There was enough room, Brian just said he preferred to sit on the floor.

“You just want to sit between Alex’s legs,” Tim said, a teasing look on his face. Brian’s face flushed, and he shook his head.

“No, I just like the floor!” Brian insisted. Tim let out a quiet laugh, pulling Jay closer to his side.

The evening was full of comfortable laughs, a little bit of drinking, and teasing from all parties. Sometime around sunset, Tim was sitting back on the couch and watching his friends.

Brian and Alex were in a heated debate, and Jay was providing input whenever necessary.

“All I’m saying, is that Twilight Princess Link was the strongest one!” Brian exclaimed.

“No, no, Breath of the Wild Link is the strongest!” Alex argued.

“Twilight Princess Link was a WOLF.”

“Breath of the Wild Link took down the Blight Ganons.”

Tim felt Jay’s shoulders shake with a silent laughter, and Tim looked over at him. Jay was watching Alex and Brian with a grin on his face. He was laughing at the conversation, before speaking up.

“Boys, boys. You’re both wrong.” Alex and Brian turned to Jay, who grinned even larger. “Majora’s Mask Link is strongest.”

Alex and Brian burst into an uproar, immediately disagreeing with Jay, before Jay shushed them.

“Boys, calm down. Think about it. Majora’s Mask Link’s downfall is that he’s the size of a child. Even still, he can turn into a Zora and a Goron with his masks! He also has the Fierce Deity mask, which, even if Hyrule Warriors isn’t canon, he cuts the moon in half!” Jay explained, grinning. “So, Majora’s Mask Link is the best.”

Brian stared at Jay in silence, his jaw dropped, and Alex just sighed.

“Why are you always right?” Alex mumbled, before turning back to Brian. “Breath of the Wild Link comes in second because he has the many different armors. Plus, you can make him crossdress.”

Brian grinned. “Is that your kink, Kralie? Seeing pretty boys in feminine clothes?” He asked, and Alex went red.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” Alex grumbled, grabbing another one of the beers from the box set beside him. He opened it, taking a drink of it.

Brian saw his moment, and scooted up close to Alex. He whispered something in Alex’s ear that Tim couldn’t hear, and Alex choked.

“You okay, Alex?” Tim asked him, grinning. Alex gave a weak glare to Tim, coughing.

“Brian fucking Thomas, I’m going to ruin you,” Alex mumbled, and Brian let out a bark of laughter.

Jay laughed quietly at Tim’s side, and Tim leaned in close to Jay. He kissed Jay’s cheek, before moving his lips from his cheek to his jaw to behind his ear. He felt Jay lean into the kisses, body going slack and Tim felt Jay’s smaller hand find his.

“Woah now, here we go, I didn’t realize I got a free show!” Alex said, causing Tim to look over at him. He was grinning at the pair, with his thumbs up. “No, no, keep going, but let me get my camera,” he teased, causing Jay’s face to go bright red.

“Alex! No!” Jay complained, bringing his hands to his face. Tim let out a quiet laugh, picking Jay up by the hips and pulling him onto his lap. Jay let out a squeak, burrowing his face further into his hands.

“Is that a kink, Mr. Merrick?” Tim asked quietly. “Do you like cameras?” He teased, and Jay’s ears went red. Tim carefully pulled Jay’s hands away from his face, leaning close and giving him a soft kiss. “I’m just teasing, baby.”

Jay nodded, an embarrassed smile on his face. Tim let out a quiet laugh, hugging him close.

“Damn right he does. Imagine my surprise when I accidentally found his reddit alt,” Alex said, laughing quietly.

Jay looked over at Alex, blush spreading down his neck. “Don’t you dare!” He screeched, body shaking. He was laughing silently, hands clasped over his mouth to keep any sound inside.

Tim grinned, and rested his face on Jay’s shoulder. He let out a hum, letting his grip on Jay go slack. “I’d be interested to see, but only if you want to show me. I’ve got some pictures of me out there, too. Some amateur videos too.”

“I’ve seen ‘em!” Brian took a swig of beer. “Imagine my displeasure when looking for something to jerk off to, and seeing my friend’s cock?” He made a noise of disgust, pulling Alex closer. “I did a few photoshoots for some extra cash a couple times. What about you, Kralie?” He asked, and Alex shook his head.

“He prefers to be behind the camera.” Jay leaned back into Tim, letting out a yawn. “Anyway, I’ll go ahead and change the topic. What movie should we put on?” He asked, looking around the room.

Brian and Alex started naming out suggestions, ending up arguing about various movies and playfully messing around with each other.

“Why don’t we watch the Shape of Water?” Tim suggested instead, and Alex made a face. “What?”

“I heard she fucked the fishman. Pass.”

“Suit yourself.” Tim grinned, and Jay stood up. He set his beer can on the ground, before walking into the kitchen. He came out with a small trash bag, and started picking up the empty cans.

Tim watched him, smiling, before Jay gave him a smile and walked back into the kitchen.

“You got yourself a house husband already, Tim? Wow,” Alex teased, a sly grin on his face. “I know Jay’s always wanted someone who will work and pay the bills and come home to him at night, and he cooks very well and cleans up nicely.”

Tim gave Alex a look, frowning. “I do as much of that as he does,” he said, but Alex interrupted him.

“I’m kidding. I’m sure you have a very functional home life with him. He’s very easy to live with. Very tolerant of a lot, but he can get pretty wild himself-”

“Don’t you be telling any stories from college, Kralie. You know I have much more dirt on you than you have on me.” Jay came back into the room, sitting back on Tim’s lap. Tim wrapped his arms around Jay’s waist, resting his chin comfortably on his shoulder again.

“Let's all pick a movie. How about a Disney marathon?” Brian said.

“That works, we can all re-live a little bit of our childhoods,” Alex said, leaning back on the couch and flinging his arm over Brian’s shoulders. Brian blushed, but leaned into it anyways.

“I’ve never really seen many Disney movies.” Tim shrugged. “But okay, we can watch them.”

They put on the Lion King first, and Jay had grabbed Tim’s phone halfway through and opened up Chrome. He typed up a link, before locking the phone and handing it back to Tim with a smile. Tim moved to open up his phone, but Jay reached over and pushed the phone away.

“What did you just put on my phone?” Tim muttered into his ear.

“You’ll see later.” Jay gave him a grin. 

“Shush, lovebirds,” Alex said, giving them a cheeky grin. “And I saw what you did, Mr. Merrick. You are one evil boy.” He laughed. Jay gave him an innocent smile, before turning back to the movie and settling back into Tim’s chest.

The movies ran late into the night, and the party had watched several movies before Jay and Alex had fallen asleep. Tim looked over to Brian.

Brian was petting Alex’s hair, his face soft in the dim light.

“Well, you are welcome to stay here, or you can stay in the guest room upstairs,” Tim whispered, gently shaking Jay.

“Mmmwhaaa..?” Jay mumbled, blinking his eyes and yawning before reaching up to rub his eyes. “...Did I fall asleep?”

“You and Alex did. But, I think it’s time to sleep anyways, lets go to our bed,” Tim said softly, and Jay stood up and stretched.

“I don’t know why but I thought Jay was using the guest room. I’m an idiot. You guys have moved into sleeping in the same bed already?” Brian asked, and Tim shrugged.

“We were sleeping in the same bed from the first day I brought him over.” Tim stood up too, wrapping his arm around Jay’s waist. “C’mon, baby, bedtime.”

Tim lead Jay up the stairs into the master bedroom, where Jessica was already curled up on the foot of the bed, and sat him down. Tim sat on the other side of the bed, leaning down to take his shoes off. He untied them, before kicking them off and taking his socks off too.

The bed dipped where Jay laid back, already stripped down to his boxers. Jessica let out a mrrow of complaint at Jay’s feet being tucked underneath her body, but she moved to the end of the bed and laid back down. Tim stood up to take off his jeans, pushing them down to his ankles and leaving them on the floor. His shirt soon joined it, and he crawled in bed next to Jay.

Jay hummed quietly, happily becoming the little spoon. Tim tucked his arm under Jay’s stomach, pulling his hips close and pressing soft kisses to the back of Jay’s neck and shoulders. Jay let out a giggle, before turning over and meeting Tim’s kisses with some of his own.

“You’re suddenly not that tired, are you?” Tim teased, pulling Jay closer and pressing their hips together.

“Mmm, I’m still tired, but now that you’ve got me up…” Jay said, letting his hands wander around Tim’s belly.

A creak from outside their room interrupted them, followed by a sleepy sounding Alex mumbling something about how Brian woke him up.

“Maybe we should pick this up later, you are a little loud and we do have visitors,” Tim whispered, letting out a small laugh.

Jay pouted slightly, before pressing a final kiss to Tim’s lips. “You’re right.” He grinned. “I love how you’re making it sound like I already live with you. You’re calling this ours.”

“Have I? Well, I mean, I want you to move in as soon as your lease is up. You already stole my heart, why not share everything else with me, right?” Tim said softly, bringing one hand up to pet Jay’s cheek.

“You’re so sweet,” Jay said, letting out a yawn. “Maybe I am too tired for sex.”

“Morning, we can shower before Brian and Alex wake up, and make them breakfast. Sound good?” Tim asked, shifting and laying back on the pillow

“Sounds perfect,” Jay muttered, and turned around again, becoming the little spoon. Tim pulled him closer, resting his head between Jay’s shoulders, and closed his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about it being so late, I appreciate comments(and you can message me on tumblr telling me to kick my butt into gear with the chapter tbh)


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